[RIA Novosti] During the special operation in Ukraine, Russian troops are confronted by almost the entire West, there has never been such a level of fighting in the modern history of the country, Valery Gerasimov, Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, said in an interview with AiF.
"Modern Russia has never known such a level and intensity of hostilities. Our country and its Armed Forces today are opposed by almost the entire collective West," the general said.
Just a Special Military Operationâ„¢ of a couple
According to him, in order to stabilize the situation, protect new territories and carry out offensive operations in Russia, a partial mobilization was carried out. Such events, Gerasimov noted, had not been since the Great Patriotic War.
He stressed that now the General Staff is taking the necessary measures to achieve the goals of the special operation set by the president. The department also ensures the security of Russia, taking into account existing military threats.
On January 11, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu appointed Valery Gerasimov, Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, commander of a group of forces in the special military operation zone.
Since February 24, a special operation has been taking place in Ukraine. Vladimir Putin called its task "the protection of people who have been subjected to bullying and genocide by the Kiev regime for eight years." According to the president, the ultimate goal is the liberation of Donbass and the creation of conditions that guarantee the security of Russia itself.
At the same time, the head of state has repeatedly stressed that Moscow is ready for negotiations, since it seeks not to spin the flywheel of the Ukrainian conflict, but to end it. Western countries, in turn, are constantly talking about the need to continue hostilities, pumping up the Kyiv authorities with weapons and training the fighters of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on their territory.
The Kremlin has repeatedly stated that the supply of weapons only prolongs the conflict, and the transport of weapons becomes a legitimate target for the Russian army.