He expressed this opinion on Espreso TV.
“The liberation of Crimea is one of the priority tasks for the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Because Crimea is a big problem for us as long as Russian troops are there. We cannot launch an offensive in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions without liberating the peninsula. In such a situation, the Russians could withdraw from Crimea and repeat an offensive similar to last year. This threatens our troops with an attack from the rear,” explained Svitan.
The expert emphasized that aviation plays a key role in the liberation of the occupied territories.
“It is clear that Crimea should be liberated first. After Crimea is cleared, the operation to liberate the Donetsk and Luhansk regions will begin. As for aviation, the announced deliveries of fighter jets will play a key role in the liberation of our territories,” he added.
On May 19, UK intelligence reported that the bombing of a railroad in Crimea could affect the delivery of weapons to Russia's Black Sea Fleet, including Kalibr missile systems.
On May 20, RBC-Ukraine reported that a Russian attack helicopter was damaged in the temporarily occupied Crimea. The incident occurred at the Kacha airfield near Sevastopol.