2023-05-27 08:42:58
- James Landall
- Diplomatic Correspondent – Kyiv
Danilov says that there are no days off during the war
A senior Ukrainian security official told the BBC that Ukraine was ready to launch its long-awaited counter-offensive against Russian forces.
Oleksey Danilov did not give a date, but said that “the offensive to reclaim territory from the occupying forces of President Vladimir Putin could start tomorrow, the day after tomorrow or a week later.”
He warned that the Ukrainian government “has no right to make any mistake” in the decision because this is a “historic opportunity” that “we cannot afford to lose”.
Danilov is at the heart of President Volodymyr Zelensky’s de facto war government, in his capacity as Minister of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine.
During his rare interview with the BBC, Danilov received a phone message from President Zelensky summoning him to a meeting to discuss the counterattack.
During the interview, he confirmed that some of Wagner’s mercenary forces are withdrawing from the city of Bakhmut, which witnessed the bloodiest battles in the war so far, but added that they are “regrouping in three other locations,” and added, “This does not mean that they will stop fighting against us.”
Danilov also said he was “completely calm” about Russia starting to deploy nuclear weapons in Belarus, and added: “For us, this is not some kind of news.”
Ukraine had been planning a counterattack for months. But she wanted as much time as possible to train troops and receive military equipment from the Western allies.
Meanwhile, the Russian forces were preparing their defences.
And there is a lot at stake because the government in Kiev needs to show the people of Ukraine and Western allies that it can break through Russian lines, end the military impasse and reclaim some of its sovereign territory.
Danilov said the armed forces would go on the offensive when the commanders judge “that we can get the best result at that stage of the war.”
When asked if the Armed Forces of Ukraine were ready to attack, he replied: “We are always ready. We were also ready to defend our country at any time. And this is not a matter of time.”
“We have to understand that this historic opportunity was given to us by God and we cannot lose it, until we truly become a large and independent European country.”
“It could happen tomorrow, or the day after tomorrow, or in a week,” he added.
“It would be strange for me to mention the start dates of the events. It cannot be done. We have a very responsible task before our country. We understand that we have no right to make a mistake.”
Danilov dismissed suggestions that the counteroffensive had already begun, saying that the task of “destroying Russian control centers and Russian military equipment” had been the task of the Ukrainian armed forces since February 24 last year, the date on which Russia launched the offensive.
“We don’t have days off during this war,” he said.
He defended the Ukrainian army’s decision to fight at Bakhmut for several months, a battle that took the lives of many of its soldiers.
image copyright Getty Images
Ukrainian forces spent months training with Western equipment
“Bakhmut is our land and we must defend it,” he said. “If we start leaving every city, it could lead us to our western border as Putin wanted from the early days of the war.”
He added, “We control only a small part of the city, and we admit that. But you have to keep in mind that Bakhmut played a huge role in this war.”
When asked if Wagner’s mercenaries were leaving, he replied: “Yes, it is happening. But that does not mean that they will stop fighting against us. They will focus more on other fronts. They are regrouping in three other locations.”
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