In his first interview with a British newspaper since the invasion began, Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said President Zelensky had ordered Ukraine’s military to retake occupied coastal areas which are vital to the country’s economy. Mr Reznikov stated, “We understand that politically it is very necessary for our country.
“The president instructed the highest military leadership to develop plans. After that, the General Staff says that to achieve this goal we need a, b, c… This is my job. I write letters to colleagues in the countries – partners, the generals talk about why we need such types of weapons, and later we get political solutions.”
The Minister of Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories Iryna Vereshchuk called on residents of the occupied oblasts of Kherson and Zaporizhzhya to evacuate as soon as possible. “It is necessary so that the armed forces do not endanger the civilian population during offensive operations,” Ms Vereshchuk said.
