Ukrainian authorities look through all available means of liberating the Crimean Peninsula from russian occupation.
It was stated by Tamila Tasheva, presidential representative in Autonomous Republic Crimea* on-air at Ukrainian TV.
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"The issue of Crimea after February 24, as well as approaches regarding the return of territories have changed, too. And of course, we will use all methods available now," the official said, according to the state Center for Strategic Communications.
Tasheva said when the moment "X" comes, the military could possibly regain control of the russian-occupied territories by force.
Yet, as she noted, Ukrainian authorities still prefer to settle the issue peacefully through diplomatic means, but any territorial yielding is off the table.
Western support is the cornerstone of this confidence. Minister of Defense of Ukraine Oleksii Reznikov said new weapons provided by the West will help Ukraine regain Crimea, Ukraine NOW reports.
"We are going to liberate all our territories. All of them, including Crimea. Crimea is a strategic goal for Ukraine because it is Ukrainian territory, but we will move step by step," the minister said.
According to the defense ministry’s spokesman Oleksandr Motuzyanyk, weapons that Ukraine obtains as aid from international partners go straight into battle:
"Weapons are coming, and they get almost instantly to the front lines. We see the results of the use of American triple seven guns (M777 howitzers). The General Staff also reported on the success of using French CAESAR artillery systems; it is a very effective weapon that allows hitting the enemy at a distance with precise strikes," the spokesman said during a briefing at Media Center Ukraine.
He did not provide details on the pace of the supplies but stressed that this process needs some time, and as soon as Ukraine gets "western weaponry samples in sufficient amount" it would allow armed forces "completely turn the tables" of current situation on the battlefield.
*the Autonomous Republic of Crimea is the name of the Crimean autonomous government before russia occupied the peninsula in 2014. Since then, Crimean authorities have been continuing their work from Ukraine-controlled territories
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