Kyiv: Ukraine is ready to deploy troops in case of Russia's direct aggression
The Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, General Victor Muzhenko stated on Facebook that if there is a threat of a direct invasion by Russia, the General Staff can deploy Joint Forces.
"Today, the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine (NSDC) reported to Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, preliminary conclusions of the martial law. Firstly, the General Staff can deploy Joint Forces units if there is a thread of invasion by Russia,” Muzhenko wrote.
Muzhenko added that the Armed Forces of Ukraine are ready in the short term to significantly increase the number of combat forces through professional and motivated operational reserves. More than thirty thousand reservists renewed their skills during the training process. He also noted that the territorial defense brigades carried out comprehensive exercises and established practical cooperation with government authorities and other elements of the country’s defense forces.
Muzhenko also noted that under the threat of open aggression, the General Staff carried out large organizational and training activities for defense of the country. According to the Chief of the General Staff, the detailed analysis of the activities regarding all the elements of the country’s defense sector under martial law will allow the Armed forces to identify and solve problems and strengthen combat capabilities.
Martial law was imposed on November 26 for thirty days in the Vinnytsia, Donetsk, Zaporizhia, Luhansk, Mykolaiv, Odessa, Sumy, Kharkiv, Kherson and Chernihiv regions, and in Azov-Kerch internal waters. This was a response to Russia's attack in the Kerch Strait and the threat of massive invasion. On December 26, at 2:00 p.m., President Petro Poroshenko announced the termination of martial law.