The British military commander has stated that Ukraine is preparing to increase deep raids into Russian territory after receiving long-range weapons from the West. According to Admiral Tony Radakin, the commander of the British armed forces, Ukraine is currently facing a challenging period due to Russia’s attacks. However, he believes there are more favorable long-term trends for Ukraine emerging.
Radakin highlighted that Ukraine has received new military aid packages from the US and Europe, and their long-range raid campaigns have been increasingly successful. He noted that Russia’s failure to prevent military exports across the Black Sea has allowed for this success. The US recently resumed military aid to Ukraine after a six-month interruption, during which time the Ukrainian army faced a shortage of ammunition and weapons while Russian forces made significant advances and continuously attacked with heavy artillery, missiles, and UAVs.
In order to regain initiative on the battlefield, Ukraine has been requesting high-tech long-range weapons from the West. They have also conducted raids on production and energy infrastructure deep within Russian territory, including oil refineries. The US covertly transferred ATACMS missiles with a range of 300 km to Ukraine in March but President Joe Biden instructed that these not be used to attack Russia. Despite disagreements between Ukraine and the US regarding raids on Russian oil refineries, Admiral Radakin expressed confidence in Ukraine’s capabilities. He emphasized the impact of Ukraine’s long-range strike capability on the conflict. The UK has pledged over $3.7 billion in aid to Ukraine and signed contracts with defense companies to provide more weapons, including anti-aircraft missiles and cruise missiles. While Russia may be able to launch long-range raids on Ukraine more effectively, Admiral Radakin remains optimistic about NATO members increasing support for Ukraine. He mentioned that every element of Ukraine’s military strategy will be kept hidden and there is no “miracle solution” but continuous aid will prevent failure.