The secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council said on Wednesday he believes Ukraine is halfway through the brutal war against Russia that has been raging for 10 months, but warned the toughest battle is ahead.
“Russia continues to set maximalist goals in the war with Ukraine,” Oleksii Danilov said in a post on Twitter, citing Moscow’s goals of eliminating the Ukrainian government and “destroying Ukraine.”[e] as a nation.”
“Time for maximum focus,” he added. “We’re halfway to victory. But the hardest part is still ahead of us – finally evicting the aggressor from our country and punishing him for his crimes.”
Medical waste and military clothes from wounded Ukrainian soldiers in front of a hospital December 26, 2022 in Bakhmut, Ukraine. (Pierre Crom/Getty Images)
RUSSIA REJECTS UKRAINE ‘PEACE SUMMIT’ PROPOSAL: ‘DIPLOMACY 404’
Russian President Vladimir Putin made headlines on Christmas Day after implying that Russia was ready to negotiate with Ukraine to end the war.
However, hopes for a diplomatic solution were quickly dashed after Moscow stuck to a hard line, saying the war would only end if Ukraine ceded the nearly 20% of its land that Russia illegally occupied.
Frontline progress has largely stalled in recent weeks with the onset of winter, although intense fighting for Bakhmut continues. Western defense officials expect Russia to strengthen its positions in the Luhansk and Kherson areas.
While Moscow will gain little strategically from the successful capture of the Donetsk region town of Bakhmut, it has begun to implement defensive measures in logistically important areas of neighboring Luhansk – which shares a border with Russia.
Britain’s Defense Ministry on Wednesday assessed that the Kreminna area of Luhansk was likely reinforced by Russian troops to hold the sector bordering Donetsk, which has become “relatively vulnerable” as Ukrainian troops push the line east.
Ukrainian soldiers fire an artillery shell at Russian positions near Bakhmut, Donetsk region, Ukraine, Sunday, November 20, 2022. (AP Photo/LIBKOS)
RUSSIA INVESTS ‘RELATIVELY FREE’ OFFENSIVE TO TAKE BAKHMUT DESPITE LOW STRATEGIC ADVANTAGE: UK INTEL
“Russia has built extensive new defenses in the area and will likely prioritize holding the line here,” the ministry said. “The area is logistically important for the Russian Donbass Front and is also a major city in Luhansk Oblast.”
The ministry also assessed that the “liberation” of this area served as the main pretext for the Kremlin’s war.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a meeting with his top security officials on Tuesday, during which they assessed the situation in Bakhmut, Kreminna and Donetsk and said the steps taken by Kyiv next year will be “crucial”.
A Ukrainian soldier fires a mortar at Russian positions in Bakhmut, Donetsk region, Ukraine, Thursday, November 10, 2022. (AP Photo/Libkos, File)
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Zelenskyy said everything from air defenses, upgrading his frontline troops, repairing equipment and strategies for surviving the brutal winter months was discussed.
The Ukrainian president did not go into detail but said he would share Kiev’s plans to end the war and restore the nation in the near future.
Caitlin McFall is a reporter at Fox News Digital covering politics, US and world news.