"We will do everything possible": Syrskyi speaks about de-occupation of Crimea and return of 1991 borders

The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Syrskyi, said that the Defense Forces would do everything possible to return to the 1991 borders. Kyiv had a realistic plan for the de-occupation of Crimea, but it was a military secret.

Syrskyi made the statement in an interview with the British newspaper The Guardian published on July 24. In particular, he noted that naval drones resembling speedboats had sunk about a third of the Russian Black Sea Fleet.

"It really has become a trap for them, and for some [ships] a grave," Syrskyi said.

He added: The Kremlin was forced to "completely withdraw" from the Crimean port of Sevastopol after a series of Ukrainian attacks. UAV and missile strikes also destroyed radars and missile launchers.

The key goal of Ukraine's defenders is to destroy the Kerch Bridge, the road and railroad crossing that connects the occupied peninsula with Russia.

Syrskyi refused to say when this might happen. Two previous attempts included a truck bombing and a drone strike.

Kyiv had a plan to return Crimea, more than a decade after Russian dictator Vladimir Putin illegally annexed it, the Armed Forces chief said.

"This is realistic. Of course, this is a big military secret. We will do everything possible to achieve the internationally recognized borders of 1991. We have to win... to free our citizens who are in the occupied territories, who are suffering," the general said.

Like many soldiers at war, he rarely sees his family, the newspaper reports.

"They are suffering without me, so maybe this is a problem for me as well. But I know we will win. I know how to do it. And I am sure we will do it," Syrskyi said.

He says he has been awake for many hours, and in his rare moments of rest, he has been reading books on Ukrainian history to understand past processes.

"We have brave people and a difficult history," he says.

"It is very important for us that all citizens of Ukraine fulfill their constitutional duty," he said, urging Ukrainians living outside their country to participate as well. "I hope that after the victory they will be able to tell their children where they were. Where were you when all Ukrainian citizens were fighting in such fierce battles? That is the question."

As reported by OBOZ.UA, the other day, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that the hot stage of the war could be over by the end of 2024. According to him, this is possible if we are united and follow the format of the Peace Summit.

The President says that no one will agree to a long war that will rage for many years to come.

According to the DIU, the key goal for Russian troops is the complete capture of the Luhansk and Donetsk regions. The enemy does not have the resources to attack in new areas.

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