Andriy Chernyak, a representative of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, has warned Ukrainians and the world that Russian dictator Vladimir Putin views Crimea as a military bridgehead. That is why, according to the Kremlin leader, it needs to be “saturated” with as much weapons as possible.
Points of attention
- Andriy Chernyak highlights the challenging economic situation in Crimea, despite Russian investments in the region.
- Putin's vision for Crimea involves saturating the peninsula with weapons and creating a Soviet model of militarization.
What is known about Putin's plans for Crimea?
Chernyak told journalists three key areas of use of Crimea by the Russian invaders:
First of all, it is about ideological pressure: Putin intends to ensure the total loyalty of the inhabitants of the peninsula. What is important to understand is that propaganda begins in early childhood — already in kindergartens, children are taught the narrative that “Russia is an army”;
military bridgehead. The Kremlin is returning Crimea to the Soviet model of militarization, trying to saturate the peninsula with weapons as much as possible. Putin wants to turn the peninsula into a solid military base, where each settlement performs a specific military function.
using the military-industrial complex to stabilize the economy. As noted in the GUR, Putin is focusing on the development and production of UAVs — this is another attempt to create new jobs and reduce the region's subsidies.
"After the occupation began, a very difficult economic situation developed in Crimea. No matter how many millions or billions Russia pours there, there are still no jobs there and people have nothing to do," Andriy Chernyak emphasized.
