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Russia is deploying new military units to the northern part of occupied Crimea, reported Andrii Cherniak, a representative of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry’s Main Intelligence Directorate.
Russia is also reportedly fortifying the area and parts of Kherson Oblast.
“They (Russia) are losing. That’s why they create defensive structures where they can, realizing that they will have to conduct combat operations on these lines,” he said.
Cherniak said that Russian forces are currently making “every effort” to preserve the so-called land corridor to Crimea through occupied Ukrainian territories in the south of the country.
“Their idea was to capture the Donetsk Oblast, the coast of the Sea of Azov, and their plans were also to cut off Ukraine from the Black Sea. But Russia could not implement any plans in Ukraine,” he said, adding that the land corridor is “certainly not safe” given that allies are providing Kyiv with new types of weapons.
“Ukraine will strike Russian positions throughout all the occupied territory,” Cherniak said.
In late December, Kyrylo Budanov, head of Ukraine’s Intelligence Directorate, said Ukraine would liberate the Russian-occupied Crimean peninsula by a combination of military force and diplomacy.
