"The Minister avoided": the Defense Ministry said that Bild twisted Umierov's statement about Crimea

The German tabloid Bild has distorted the words of Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umierov about the timing of the Ukrainian army's liberation of Crimea from Russian occupation. The publication attributed to the Minister words that he did not say.

This was stated by Illarion Pavlyuk, head of the Defense Ministry's Press and Information Department, who was present at Umierov's interview with Bild. He commented on the situation to Hromadske.

The German tabloid quoted Umierov as saying that Crimea could be liberated next year. The minister allegedly stated that he was "100% sure of this".

In fact, Rustem Umierov said in an interview: "Crimea will be liberated - one hundred percent. This is our strategic goal".

The Minister did not claim that Crimea would be liberated in 2024.

The journalist asked about the timing several times, but Umierov avoided making any precise predictions with dates, the Defense Ministry press service emphasized.

As a reminder, the Permanent Representative of the President of Ukraine in Crimea Tamila Tasheva said that the Ukrainian Defense Forces were unable to enter the territory of Crimea in 2023 due to a number of objective reasons. "Due to the difficult situation on the peninsula, our troops are somewhat behind schedule, but they are still making progress.

Earlier, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted that Crimea, which was seized by Russia in 2014, would probably be easier to de-occupy than Donbas. It is not only about liberating the territories, but also about the mental return of people to Ukraine

As reported by OBOZ.UA, the Defense Ministry also denied Minister Umierov's statement to WELT TV, Bild, and Politico that Ukraine wants to draft men living abroad. A spokesperson for the ministry emphasized that Umerov's quotes used in the media were distorted.

Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!