Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov addressed a meeting of the EU Council at the level of heads of defense agencies. He said Russia is preparing for a protracted war.
Reznikov published his speech on his Facebook page.
"On many grounds, Russia is preparing for a long-term military operation. The war is entering a protracted phase. We see how in Kherson Oblast, in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, the Russian occupiers are actively carrying out engineering and fortification work to move to defense if necessary," he explained.
Reznikov noted that during the 80 days of the war, the Ukrainian army has already destroyed about 17 battalion tactical groups of the Russian army, each of which has 600 to 800 servicemen. However, currently about 91 BTGs are taking part in hostilities on the part of Russia, and another 55 may be involved from the reserves.
"Given this, we want to defeat the enemy and liberate our territories as soon as possible. Do not let Russia prolong the conflict. That is why we are very interested in receiving international aid, buying weapons as quickly as possible and in the right quantities. We need tanks, armored vehicles, long-range weapons (MLRS, heavy artillery, aircraft, missiles). We strive to save the lives of our people," the Minister stressed.