Kyiv says Russia wants to destroy Ukrainian statehood and nation

Russia’s strategic goal in the war in Ukraine is the complete destruction of Ukrainian statehood and the Ukrainian nation, Ukrainian Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Malyar said on Thursday.

She told a briefing that the situation remained difficult for Ukrainian forces, and that Russia’s main focus now was on establishing full control over the Luhansk and Donetsk regions of eastern Ukraine.

“Russia’s main strategic, military-political and military-economic goals as regards our state remain the complete destruction of Ukrainian statehood and the (Ukrainian) nation, as well as the destruction of the military and economic foundations of our state,” Malyar said.

She said Russia’s military goals also included the destruction of weapons and equipment sent to Ukraine by its foreign partners, and damaging transport infrastructure used to transport military and civilian goods.

Further military action would depend on what resources Ukraine has at its disposal, she said, in an apparent reference to Ukrainian requests for its allies to provide it with more arms.

Russia did not immediately comment on Malyar’s remarks.

Moscow says its “special military operation” is intended to disarm and “denazify” its neighbour. Ukraine and the West say Russia launched an unprovoked war of aggression.