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'Ukraine won't be able to take Crimea any time soon,' Pentagon tells US lawmakers
It is unlikely that the Ukrainian military will be able to retake Crimea from Russian forces anytime soon, according to a Politico report, based on a confidential letter from four senior Defense Department officials t...
Updated: 40 months ago2 min read
It is unlikely that the Ukrainian military will be able to retake Crimea from Russian forces anytime soon, according to a Politico report, based on a confidential letter from four senior Defense Department officials to US lawmakers in the House Armed Forces Committee convenes . Three sources with direct knowledge of the briefing revealed that the Pentagon does not believe Ukraine is capable of withdrawing Russian troops from the peninsula that Russia captured nearly a decade ago.
A fourth source said the briefing was less clear, but the conclusion was that Ukraine's success in an attack to retake illegally occupied territories is uncertain. All four sources requested anonymity to disclose information from the classified report.Apparently Laura Cooper and Lt. Gen.
Douglas Sims were the informants. The former is Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Russia, Ukraine and Eurasia and the latter is Chief of Operations with the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The Pentagon declined to comment on reports or speculation about future operations when approached by Politico.However, they reportedly recognized Ukraine's ability to defend its territory and its success in repelling Russian aggression. The House Forces also declined to comment. This assessment is consistent with recent comments from General Mark Milley, head of the Joint Chiefs.
US rating did not fare well in Ukraine
"I still maintain that this year it would be very, very difficult to militarily drive Russian forces out of everything, out of every inch of Ukraine and Russian-occupied or occupied Ukraine. That doesn't mean I can do it." That doesn't mean it won't happen, but it would be very, very difficult," he said during his visit to Germany. Crimea has been occupied by Russian forces since 2014 and the Region is heavily guarded by anti-aircraft defenses and a large number of troops.The issue of retaking Crimea has been the subject of debate, with Western officials acknowledging that it is part of Ukraine but failing to give Ukraine enough support to retake it. Kyiv are said to be upset with a recent statement from Milley as they plan big offensives this spring. The Ukrainians also pointed out that American intelligence was imprecise about their military capabilities during the ongoing war. Speaking recently at the World Economic Forum in Davos, an adviser to Ukrainian President Zelenskyy, Andriy Yermak, stated that a Ukrainian victory would not be possible without retaking Crimea.
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