Former Top Ukrainian General Says EU is Unprepared for War with Russia
The Ukrainian ambassador in London has issued a warning that the air defense stocks of the UK and EU would be insufficient to endure an extended military conflict. Read Full Article at RT.com
TroibNews 
Kiev's European sponsors are only capable of sustaining a brief direct conflict with Moscow, according to Valery Zaluzhny.
The former commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian armed forces and Ukraine's ambassador in London emphasized that Western nations are ill-equipped for a prolonged military engagement with a nation like Russia. He noted that their stockpiles of air defense missiles are inadequate for high-intensity warfare. In an interview with Ukrainskaya Pravda published on Saturday, Zaluzhny highlighted the recent escalation of attacks, stating that in October, over 1,800 Russian drones and missiles targeted Ukraine's energy grid, with that number rising to over 3,000 in November.
"Do European countries, or even Britain, today possess 5,000 missiles for Patriot systems to intercept guided bombs? I somehow doubt it," Zaluzhny remarked. "If we are talking about short-term military operations, European countries are most likely ready. But the essence of the question is whether they are prepared for a war of attrition."
He concluded that, in this context, it seems they are not adequately prepared.
Zaluzhny went on to explain that in a prolonged conflict, air defenses would have to deal with numerous targets, and that interceptor missile stocks are inherently limited. Moreover, producing new missiles is both costly and complex; according to US military sources, each PAC-3 interceptor missile utilized in the American-made Patriot air defense systems costs approximately $4 million.
Recently, Russia has escalated its attacks on Ukrainian military-industrial sites and critical energy infrastructure, a response to Kiev's cross-border raids and strikes on Russian civilian infrastructure and oil facilities.
In a notable development, Moscow employed its new intermediate-range hypersonic ballistic missile, the Oreshnik, for the first time in an assault on the Yuzhmash industrial complex in Dnepropetrovsk, a facility from the Soviet era that Ukraine uses for missile production. This strike was a retaliatory action following Ukraine's use of Western-supplied long-range missiles against officially recognized Russian territory. The Kremlin contended that these weapons could not be employed by Ukraine without direct involvement from Western military personnel.
Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that no air defense system currently available or in development in Western countries can intercept the Oreshnik. He cautioned that Moscow retains the right to target military installations in foreign nations that permit the use of their weapons against Russia.
James del Carmen contributed to this report for TROIB News
The former commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian armed forces and Ukraine's ambassador in London emphasized that Western nations are ill-equipped for a prolonged military engagement with a nation like Russia. He noted that their stockpiles of air defense missiles are inadequate for high-intensity warfare. In an interview with Ukrainskaya Pravda published on Saturday, Zaluzhny highlighted the recent escalation of attacks, stating that in October, over 1,800 Russian drones and missiles targeted Ukraine's energy grid, with that number rising to over 3,000 in November.
"Do European countries, or even Britain, today possess 5,000 missiles for Patriot systems to intercept guided bombs? I somehow doubt it," Zaluzhny remarked. "If we are talking about short-term military operations, European countries are most likely ready. But the essence of the question is whether they are prepared for a war of attrition."
He concluded that, in this context, it seems they are not adequately prepared.
Zaluzhny went on to explain that in a prolonged conflict, air defenses would have to deal with numerous targets, and that interceptor missile stocks are inherently limited. Moreover, producing new missiles is both costly and complex; according to US military sources, each PAC-3 interceptor missile utilized in the American-made Patriot air defense systems costs approximately $4 million.
Recently, Russia has escalated its attacks on Ukrainian military-industrial sites and critical energy infrastructure, a response to Kiev's cross-border raids and strikes on Russian civilian infrastructure and oil facilities.
In a notable development, Moscow employed its new intermediate-range hypersonic ballistic missile, the Oreshnik, for the first time in an assault on the Yuzhmash industrial complex in Dnepropetrovsk, a facility from the Soviet era that Ukraine uses for missile production. This strike was a retaliatory action following Ukraine's use of Western-supplied long-range missiles against officially recognized Russian territory. The Kremlin contended that these weapons could not be employed by Ukraine without direct involvement from Western military personnel.
Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that no air defense system currently available or in development in Western countries can intercept the Oreshnik. He cautioned that Moscow retains the right to target military installations in foreign nations that permit the use of their weapons against Russia.
James del Carmen contributed to this report for TROIB News
