December 15 interview with General Zaluzhny, according to The Economist.
Interview hi-lights below. Zaluzhny says Russia is preparing a big offensive and then describes problems getting what the Ukraine needs for the 'heavier battles' to come.
SNIP
"Our second strategic task is to get ready for this war which can happen in February. To be able to wage a war with fresh forces and reserves. Our troops are all tied up in battles now, they are bleeding. They are bleeding and are being held together solely by courage, heroism and the ability of their commanders to keep the situation under control. "
SNIP
"I can calculate, based on the task at hand, what kind of resource is needed to build combat capability.
We are talking about the scale of World War One…that is what Antony Radakin [Britain’s top soldier] told me. When I told him that the British Army fired a million shells in World War One, I was told, “We will lose Europe. We will have nothing to live on if you fire that many shells.” When they say, “You get 50,000 shells”, the people who count the money faint. The biggest problem is that they really don’t have it.
With this kind of resources I can’t conduct new big operations, even though we are working on one right now. It is on the way, but you don’t see it yet. We use a lot fewer shells.
I know that I can beat this enemy. But I need resources. I need 300 tanks, 600-700 IFVs, 500 Howitzers. Then, I think it is completely realistic to get to the lines of February 23rd. But I can’t do it with two brigades. I get what I get, but it is less than what I need. It is not yet time to appeal to Ukrainian soldiers in the way that Mannerheim appealed to Finnish soldiers. We can and should take a lot more territory."
SNIP
General Zaluzhny is an intelligent man and has spent much of the last 10 months futilely trying to talk Zelensky out of risky plans that threaten his troops and begging to be allowed to withdraw troops in peril. But, Zelensky needed “wins” to keep the West onboard.
General Z knows no one is sending him the weapons for an entire new army. They couldn’t even if they wanted to...and they don’t want to. His “partners” want out so bad they can taste it!
Scott Ritter believes that General Z brought the speech of the defeated Finnish commander up as an “excuse” for what it about to come. He WILL have to make that speech at some point and he is setting the foundation for blaming the west for not supplying him with what they promised...just like the Finnish commander did in 1940.
General Z is forming a new political party to challenge Zelensky’s re-election. He hopes to be the next Ukrainian president...the one who negotiates the final settlement with Putin.
Resident
The Economist confirms information from political telegram channels that the Office of the President is trying to replace Zaluzhny with Syrsky .
This is worrying senior Western military officials.
A senior foreign military officer said that at best, this petty rivalry is a red herring.
At worst, it could undermine Ukraine’s unity and weaken the West’s trust in its leaders.
Telegram
Resident
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Our source in the OP said that the Office of the President wants to give all the laurels of the winner to General Alexander Syrsky, whom Bankova plans to appoint to the post of Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
https://t.me/resident_ua/14017
Separately, there is a call for a military coup, but so far softly ...