Zelenskyy: Russia Plans to Equip Civilian Vessels with Light Weapons, Electronic Countermeasures, and Military Personnel
On August 28, Zelenskyy posted on his Telegram channel stating that he had reviewed a report from Oleh Ivashchenko, Director of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry's Intelligence Directorate. The full text is as follows:
Our military intelligence has obtained internal Russian documents confirming that, this month alone, the export volume of certain Russian product categories has declined by 80%. This has inflicted significant losses on the federal budget of the Russian Federation and further strained the already bankrupt regional budgets. Russia itself has acknowledged that due to our drone strikes, naval vessels of the Russian Black Sea Fleet are effectively blockaded in Novorossiysk Port and unable to conduct missions at sea. The Russian leadership currently lacks a solution to escape this predicament.
Due to the inability of the Russian Navy to provide escort for civilian merchant ships and shadow fleets entering relevant ports, Russia is now considering a plan: equipping civilian vessels with light weapons, electronic countermeasure devices, and military personnel. We will prepare appropriate countermeasures to respond to Russia’s militarization of shipping.
Our military intelligence confirms that our deep-strike operations have been highly effective—particularly against facilities in the Russian defense industry and oil sector. Based on intelligence sourced from within Russia itself: after multiple rounds of long-range strikes on the "Kamensky Complex" in Rostov Oblast, Russia has suffered substantial losses in its production capacity for solid-fuel rocket engines. We will continue conducting such long-range strike operations.
We now possess the latest intelligence regarding Russia’s ballistic missile production and expansion plans. We will take countermeasures accordingly, and crucially, major jurisdictions worldwide must implement supporting sanctions. All components, equipment, and machine tools used in Russia’s missile production must be comprehensively embargoed. This is also the responsibility of our partner nations: without foreign-sourced components, Russia cannot implement any single element of its missile program.
The Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense also holds evidence confirming that a large-scale Russian oil refinery in Kstovo, Nizhny Novgorod Oblast—with an annual crude oil processing capacity of 17 million tons—has ceased operations, along with several other refineries across the country. Thanks to the precision of our forces’ strikes. Glory to Ukraine!
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1874768255991818/
Disclaimer: This article represents the personal views of the author