In an interview with the “world”, Andriy Yermak, the right arm of Volodymyr Zelensky, takes stock of the military situation and the need for “heavy equipment”. He wishes the creation of a special court and a strengthening of sanctions against Russia.
words collected by Julien Bouissou (kyiv, Special Envoy)
In a presidential palace plunged into the darkness, Andriy Yermak, the powerful chief of staff to the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, received Mo12345lemonde late on Thursday, January 12. In the vast building, sandbags are stacked along the corridors, at the foot of the stairs, the bulletproof vests are stored in each office and several rooms have their doors to limit the risk of attack. Military regularly lead rounds, torch lamp in hand, to verify that no suspicious object is hidden behind the thick curtains or in a corner of the building. Whoever is considered to be the number two of the Ukrainian power returns to the situation on the military front and calls for the holding of an international summit on sanctions against Moscow.
what is the military situation in Bakhmout and in Soledar?
The situation is difficult, even very difficult, it is the Battle of Verdun of the XXI e century which is currently taking place in Bakhmout and Soledar. The fighting has been harsh for months but our soldiers manage to maintain their positions. The Russians release criminals from prison that immediately arrived on the front line. Their bodies are left on the spot, they are not even recovered, there are many human losses on the Russian side, much superior to ours. We clearly give more value to the life of our soldiers. But we have before us a human mass which attacks, attacks, attacks constantly. Soledar is the scene of street battles, without any part really controlling the city. The Russians are present there but they do not control it. The situation is difficult but we keep the same objective in this war, which is to release our territories, to fully restore the territorial integrity of Ukraine.
dread yourself a new mobilization of Russian soldiers who Could submerge Ukrainian defense lines?
Since February 24, 2022, we are no longer afraid of anything. To win this war, we need additional military equipment, and heavy equipment. Our cooperation with our allies continues, and all I can tell you is that we have started to receive heavy equipment. This will continue, because I know that our partners will continue to support us by all possible means.
How do you interpret the takeover of military operations in Ukraine by the Russian Russian chief of staff Valéré Guerassimov?
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