Zelensky: Ukraine's success in the Black Sea will be recorded in history textbooks

In Ukraine talk about self-sufficiency

“The modern world is quickly accustomed to success,” Zelensky said, complaining that the Ukrainian military’s achievements were “taken for granted.” Zelensky’s comments came as the Biden administration seeks congressional approval for a $106 billion aid package that includes support for both Israel and Ukraine. But some Republicans oppose sending more aid to Ukraine.

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin warned U.S. senators on Tuesday that if they cut off funding to Ukraine, as some Republicans have vowed to do, Russian President Vladimir Putin will win the war.

Analysts say that with Russia’s current military production growth, the country is likely to gain more advantages on the battlefield in the coming months. That is why, Ukrainian officials say, continued support from allies such as the United States—Kiev’s biggest military backer—is so important. “If we continue to work together, we will win… If you leave us alone, it will be much more difficult for us,” said Oleksiy Danilov, head of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council.

President Zelensky has also recognized the risk of diverting world attention from Ukraine in recent weeks. In his nightly address, he noted that Ukrainian forces had pushed Russia’s Black Sea Fleet off Ukraine’s western coast and forced some ships to move away from the Crimean peninsula. That has limited Moscow’s ability to use its ships to attack Ukraine and helped Kiev secure a transit route for grain exports.

“Ukraine’s success in the Black Sea battle is something that will be recorded in history textbooks,” Mr. Zelensky boasted. However, unable to hide his disappointment, the Ukrainian leader admitted: “This issue is no longer discussed so often.”

Russia strongly declared

Meanwhile, for his part, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said on November 1 that the entire fleet of F-16 fighter jets that Western countries have pledged to finance for Kiev could be destroyed in less than three weeks. The statement was based on the high success rate that Russian air defense forces demonstrated in shooting down Ukrainian military aircraft last month.

Speaking at an online meeting of the Russian Defense Ministry, Mr. Shoigu praised the Russian forces for carrying out more than 1,400 successful interceptions in October. He said that this number included 37 Ukrainian aircraft, almost double the number of F-16s that foreign countries had planned to give Kiev. In addition, the downed targets included 6 ATACMS tactical ballistic missiles. Minister Shoigu believes: "If our air defense forces operate in this way, (the F16 squadron) can operate for only about 20 days."

The planes shot down by Russian forces last month were mainly Soviet-designed MiG-29s and Su-25s, according to the Russian Defense Ministry. Shoigu previously said the Russian military had used “new complexes” to improve its interception capabilities.

A source quoted by TASS news agency said that Russia used A-50 airborne radar aircraft to detect Ukrainian targets earlier and at lower altitudes. The successful attacks were thanks to long-range air defense missiles fired from S-400 launchers, equipped with new warheads and guided by data from airborne radars.
In addition, Minister Shoigu asserted that Kiev’s efforts to advance on the front line have been fruitless and have led to heavy losses on the battlefield, as well as a decline in the morale of the Ukrainian army. “Despite the new weapons supplied by NATO, the Kiev authorities are losing. Russian forces continue to conduct active defense, effectively inflicting damage,” the minister said at a government meeting on Wednesday./.