General Ben Hodges: Ukrainians Have Found The Key To Liberating Crimea

The dynamics of the war have changed significantly.

The Ukrainian army’s systematic strikes on airfields, ports, logistics facilities, and air defense systems in occupied Crimea are aimed at isolating Russian troops and preventing any maneuvers by the Russian Federation. It seems the Ukrainians have found the key to liberating the peninsula, he said in an interview Delfi.lt, the former commander of U.S. Army Europe, Lieutenant General Ben Hodges.

The Ukrainian Armed Forces’ campaign to isolate Russian troops in Crimea, which has been ongoing for many months, has become more effective thanks to the quality of Ukrainian-made weapons, according to a retired U.S. officer:

“Crimea can be reached by only three land routes. One is via the Kerch Bridge, and the other two are via bridges leading to the northern part of the peninsula. That’s why I think the Ukrainian armed forces have developed high-precision, long-range weapons that allow them to strike not only the bridges but even convoys of vehicles on the roads. Over the past few weeks, it’s been incredible to see how many trucks carrying Russian supplies have been destroyed on the highway.”

“I think Ukraine has found a way,” Hodges added.

At the same time, the Crimean Bridge—despite being an illegal structure—is no longer a priority target for complete destruction, since it is already ill-suited for transporting heavy military cargo, the general believes: “It appears the Russians are no longer using it for heavy equipment and cargo due to its instability.”

“It was Putin’s personal project. And so the destruction of this bridge would deal a powerful blow to Putin’s image and his regime [… ] I believe the General Staff will have to decide: is it better to focus on other approaches, or should they go ahead and demolish the span of the large bridge? “I think they’ll do it when the time is right,” Hodges said.

Although many analysts are convinced that the landing of Ukrainian troops in Crimea was a suicidal move, General Hodges said: “If anyone in the world can do this, it’s Ukraine. I mean, they’ll find a way. They’re so smart and effective.”

“But the most important thing is to ensure that Crimea is no longer an asset for Russia. It must become completely vulnerable, a source of problems, so that they cannot operate from there—neither from ships nor from aircraft—and cannot make use of air defense systems, missile launchers, or logistics,” he emphasized.

Only then will the conditions be right for the Ukrainian Armed Forces to land, the general said: “When Russia’s ability to defend Crimea is drastically reduced, opportunities will arise to land troops there through special operations, infiltration, and other means. But there’s no need to rush. There’s no need to do anything that would lead to heavy casualties. Therefore, I think the General Staff will be patient and choose the right time and conditions.”

This is how the Ukrainian Armed Forces can push back Russian forces, Hodges explained: “Due to Russia’s deteriorating ability to provide logistical support to its troops in southern Ukraine—as a result of Ukraine’s actions in and around Crimea—the Russian command may be forced to reassess the limits of its operational capabilities. We have already seen reports that Russian troops are retreating from the Kinburn Spit.”

“This is the advantage of cutting off supply lines. The soldiers lack ammunition, fuel, and everything else they need to continue combat operations, so ultimately they are forced to retreat. I think we will see situations like this more and more often,” the U.S. general noted.

The former commander of NATO forces was surprised by the Russian military leadership’s approach in this war. “From the start of the large-scale invasion, I was somewhat surprised by the Russian side’s lack of imagination and creativity. That is, essentially, they were simply trying to crush the Ukrainian defenders. And, thank God, the Russian side never had a clearly defined main direction of attack. That’s why they failed to break through the defenses anywhere or completely crush the Ukrainian defenders,” he said.

While the Russian army is suffering heavy losses, Ukraine, on the other hand, has managed to find a way to reduce them. “The number of servicemen exposed to danger has decreased thanks to the creation of a wide kill zone using drones, electronic warfare systems, and other resources. And I think this trend will continue,” Hodges noted.

At the same time, he said, the Ukrainian Armed Forces will have to advance further to restore the 1991 borders. “At some point, the Ukrainians will have to move forward. They will have to push the kill zone forward to restore the 1991 border. But for now, I’m impressed with how they’re handling it,” Ben Hodges emphasized.

According to the American general, Ukraine’s objective at the operational level remains the destruction of Russian logistics and efforts to liberate Crimea. At the strategic level, the goal is to continue striking Russia’s oil and gas infrastructure, which will pose a real problem for Russia, as it will no longer be able to generate revenue from selling oil and gas to China and India.

The dynamics of the war have changed significantly. “And I don’t see anything that could make this situation worse, unless Ukraine makes a terrible decision that would lead to enormous losses of its own, or unless Europe stops supporting Ukraine,” the general concluded.

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