Amidst the escalating conflict in Ukraine, the British military commander Admiral Tony Radakin has expressed optimism that Ukraine is gearing up to increase deep raids into Russian territory. He made this statement on April 25 during a press conference, emphasizing that despite Russia’s attacks, there are favorable long-term trends emerging for Ukraine.
According to Radakin, Ukraine has received new military aid packages from the US and Europe, and their long-range raid campaigns have been increasingly successful. He noted that Russia’s attempts to prevent military exports across the Black Sea have failed. The US recently resumed military aid to Ukraine after a six-month interruption. During this time, the Ukrainian army faced a shortage of ammunition and weapons while Russian forces made significant advances and continuously attacked with heavy artillery, missiles, and UAVs.
To regain initiative on the battlefield, Ukraine has been requesting high-tech long-range weapons from the West. They have also conducted raids on production and energy infrastructure deep within Russian territory, including oil refineries. In March, the US covertly transferred ATACMS missiles with a range of 300 km to Ukraine but President Joe Biden instructed that these not be used to attack Russia. Despite disagreements between Ukraine and the US regarding raids on Russian oil refineries, Radakin expressed confidence in Ukraine’s capabilities.
The UK has pledged over $3.7 billion in aid to Ukraine and signed contracts with defense companies to provide more weapons, including anti-aircraft missiles and cruise missiles. While Russia may be able to launch long-range raids on Ukraine more effectively, Radakin remains optimistic about NATO members increasing support for Ukraine. He emphasized that every element of Ukraine’s military strategy will be kept hidden and there is no “miracle solution” but continuous aid to prevent failure.