In the face of large-scale air strikes by the Russian army, Ukraine chose to retaliate.
Zelensky also boasted that he would destroy the Crimean bridge, could his plan come true?
1. Ukraine suffered a big loss, and Zelensky vowed to retaliate
The new year has just begun, but Russia and Ukraine have fallen into a long-range offensive.
On January 2 alone, Russia launched 10 Dagger missiles, 59 cruise missiles, and three Caliber missiles at Ukraine.
The capital, Kyiv, Kharkiv and other places have become the "targets" of Russian missiles and drones.
In addition, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky revealed that in just 5 days, Russia has launched more than 500 drones and missiles into Ukraine combined.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky
In fact, this is nothing more than a Russian counterattack against Ukraine.
Previously, the Ukrainian army launched a large-scale attack on Russia's Belgorod Oblast, resulting in many civilian casualties.
Zelensky did not expect that the Russian army's counterattack would come so quickly and fiercely.
So he vowed to retaliate against Russia and hold Russia accountable for its attacks.
Just when the outside world suspected that he was just saying something cruel and having a good time, Ukraine actually launched a retaliatory action, and this retaliation came quite quickly.
Second, Ukraine retaliated with a large-scale attack on the Russian mainland
According to Russian media reports, the Russian Ministry of Defense recently announced that the Russian army successfully intercepted 7 "Alder" rockets and 2 "Dot-U" ballistic missiles launched by Ukraine into Belgorod Oblast.
In addition, they said that earlier in the day, Ukraine had fired 17 "alder" rockets at the oblast.
In addition to missiles, the Ukrainian army also launched drone attacks on many places on the Russian mainland.
However, the Russian side claimed that all 32 drones were intercepted and destroyed by air defense forces.
Screenshot of related reports
Obviously, Ukraine is trying to tell Russia that since you can carry out air strikes on my soil, then I can also enter your territory and launch reciprocal strikes.
Not only that, but Zelensky also plans to destroy the Crimean bridge in Russia.
3. Zelensky plans to destroy the Crimean bridge
Zelensky said that in the next war, Ukraine will focus on Crimea and the Black Sea. The destruction of the Crimean bridge was precisely part of the plan.
In the eyes of Ukraine, the Crimean bridge is not an ordinary bridge, but a military facility.
Indeed, after the outbreak of the Russian-Ukrainian war, this bridge has become the main artery of the logistics flow of the Russian army, undertaking the important task of transporting troops and weapons and equipment.
Zelensky believes that the destruction of the bridge will isolate Crimea, thereby reducing the number of attacks by the Russian army from Crimea.
In fact, this is not the first time that Ukraine has hit the idea of the Crimean bridge.
Crimean bridge
In October 2022, Ukraine orchestrated an explosive attack on the Crimean bridge. The attack caused no small problems for Russia. It was not until May of the following year that the Crimean bridge was fully restored to traffic.
This also means that Russia has taken precautions, and it may not be easy for Ukraine to attack the Crimean bridge again.
It is worth noting that Zelensky, while disclosing the plan, stressed that the success of the plan depends on whether the West can provide "Taurus" missiles.
You must know that the "Taurus" missile is a long-range cruise missile with very strong combat capabilities.
Its maximum range can reach 500 km. It also has three navigation systems: GPS/inertial navigation system, radar altimeter and infrared imaging system, which can accurately hit targets.
Coupled with the fact that it is equipped with serial warheads of the "Mephisto" type, it is not a problem to destroy the opponent's high-value ground targets and fortifications underground.
It is conceivable that if Ukraine succeeds in getting to the "Taurus" missile, the Crimean bridge may be dangerous.
However, Zelensky may not be able to do so.
4. Zelensky: If you don't stand with Ukraine, you will stand aside
According to foreign media reports, at the beginning of the new year, Zelensky couldn't wait to shout to the West: either stand with Ukraine, or stand aside.
In an interview, Zelensky complained that the Western allies had lost the sense of urgency they deserved.
He stressed that by supporting Ukraine, Western countries are protecting themselves from Russia's attacks. If Ukraine loses, Western countries will face a greater risk of war.
Zelensky's statement shows from the side that the West has lost its enthusiasm for aiding Ukraine, and Ukraine can only use this way to obtain military aid.
In this way, it may be difficult for Ukraine to get the "Taurus" missile.
"Taurus" missile
Needless to say, Germany has previously refused to supply Ukraine with Taurus missiles.
Moreover, Germany is not the only Western country that has prevented Ukraine from acquiring the weapon, and countries such as the United States and France have not shown any intention of providing such long-range cruise missiles.
It's not hard to see why.
After all, the West has not given Ukraine less military aid before, but it has disappointed them. In addition, the current situation in Ukraine is not optimistic, and they may not be very willing to offend Russia for this.
Such a situation is not good news for Ukraine.
You must know that the reason why Ukraine has been able to fight with Russia until now is largely because Western countries have continuously provided military aid and "blood transfusion" for it.
Now, Western military aid has not only shrunk significantly, but may even be cut off.
And the fighting on the Russian-Ukrainian front is depleting the Ukrainian army's already abundant weapons and equipment little by little.
Although Ukraine is also working hard to improve its own weapons and equipment production capacity, this is obviously not something that can be completed in a short time.
Ukraine still has to find a way to enlist more Western military aid. Otherwise, there is a good chance that it will be in a bigger predicament.
However, this is no one else's fault. After all, it was Ukraine itself that chose to become a "pawn" of the United States and the West.