Ukrainian general: Turchynov foiled the attack of the Ukrainian Armed Forces on Crimea
In 2014, Ukraine could have held Crimea, but there was no political will for this from the then leadership of the country.
This was announced at a press conference in Kyiv by the former Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Colonel General Vladimir Zamana, who is accused of treason in connection with the events of 2014, a PolitNavigator correspondent reports.
“For the period from February 20 to April 7, 2014, no official was appointed, the head of the Anti-Terrorism Center, who alone could organize and conduct an anti-terrorist operation.
The Supreme Council of Crimea was captured from us. We say we can or we can’t - there wasn’t even a person who would have been appointed. The isthmuses were captured. Who prevented them from being unblocked?
As for the statements of Turchinov, who says that he could not do this because the armed forces were not ready, there were some internal troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs that were not like that at that time, and so on. Having been in the National Security and Defense Council for five years, this person didn’t even understand what happened and what didn’t happen.
He recently stated that at the time of the annexation of Crimea, the armed forces were staffed with conscripts. So I answer him: let him bring up any document that at the beginning of 2014, almost all conscripts in the armed forces were replaced by contract soldiers. The military units were staffed by contract soldiers and could be used literally on the day they received the order.
We prepared, held training in January, drew up a plan, and even sent some units to Crimea for training. Krivonos tells me: I don’t know why the Chief of the General Staff did not decide to implement the operation that had been prepared.
Yes, she was prepared. I reported this to Turchinov and the state leadership on February 28. Until today, the materials of that NSDC meeting have not been disclosed. They have revealed what they need; what is not beneficial to them, they have kept secret to this day.
Moreover, additional fuel and additional sets of food were supplied to the group in Crimea. And if there had been political will, then, naturally, such a shameful surrender of one’s territory would not have happened. It’s difficult for me to talk now about how this operation would have developed, but there would have been results, that’s for sure. There were people and there was preparation,” Zamana said.
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