The provision of heavy-armored Western tanks to Kyiv will see Ukraine acquire a considerable tech advantage over Russian units, which could help change the outcome of the conflict, former Hungarian military intelligence officer József Kis-Benedek has claimed.
“With the help of the advanced military equipment sent to Ukraine, the country is able to maintain its defensive lines. The difference between German and Russian tanks is as huge as putting a Mercedes up against a Lada,” he said.
On the Russian-Ukrainian front, the shift by Ukraine to armored combat involving the deployment of Western battle tanks and troop-carrying vehicles is a considerable one.
The provisions by Western allies “point in the direction of the Ukrainians being able to field a full mechanized brigade equipped with Western equipment,” explained Kis-Benedek. He claimed preparations for such an offensive have not just begun, as Ukrainian troops have been training for German-made Leopard tanks for some time.
The former intelligence officer claimed Putin has given the order for the entire Donbas region to be Russian-occupied by the end of March, and said that Ukraine now “really needs to up their game” by setting up “three- or four-tiered defense lines” in the region.
On the Ukrainian side, there is a very big problem with human resources, said Kis-Benedek. Recently, the Ukrainians have resorted to forcible conscription, often of people unfit for military service; they round people up almost indiscriminately.
He said the ethnic composition should also be looked at, as there have been reports of soldiers being given preferential or disadvantaged treatment on ethnic grounds. It is noteworthy that both sides protect ethnic Ukrainians and Russians, preferring to deploy minorities or mercenaries.
It has come to the point where there is now a danger that an entire generation could disappear – mainly men, but also more and more women are being drafted into various services, such as for healthcare, Kis-Benedek added.
If Russia faces imminent danger, they will use nuclear weapons
The military expert explained that the Russian strategy clearly states that nuclear weapons will be used in case of imminent danger, but it is not spelled out exactly what that threat means.
“Of course, NATO has the same plans, but after 1945, fortunately, the likelihood of someone using nuclear weapons is not very high; it is there among the possibilities because they have them, but everyone is very careful about that,” said Kis-Benedek.
While the Ukrainians have promised not to enter Russian territory, that does not mean they will not fire into Russian territory, he said.
“They are unlikely to go in, as the Russians would perceive that as a major threat, even a threat to their very existence, and the response could be total,” he added.
