We have to build powerful air defence system: General Malomuzh on Russia launching new stage of war

He said this on the Espreso TV channel.

"For more than a year now, we have been saying that Russia is preparing a new stage of the war. It is preparing strategic reserves, and the meeting of the Russian Defence Ministry board headed by Putin in December 2022 was a landmark, where they decided to mobilise up to 1 million 200 thousand people, involving all types of the military-industrial complex: the mobilisation of reserves and the receipt of ammunition from missile systems of its partner countries such as Iran, North Korea, and Africa," he said.

In addition, Malomuzh noted that Russia is also returning the resources that it once resold.

"That is, we see these attempts. Intelligence today speaks after the fact. We really had such knowledge that these plants are working day and night, they do not yet have the resources to do everything quickly, but they are gradually increasing," said General Malomuzh.

He stressed that today Ukraine is facing not just a tactical army, but a strategic one, where they have more than 400,000 soldiers and a huge amount of equipment on the territory of our country.

"Russia has tens of millions of different types of ammunition stored in forests throughout its territory. They are now rehabilitating them and sending them to the frontline - they are producing new ones, less, but they are producing. Russia has deployed all its forces against us. So we have to take this into account and build a powerful air defence system to protect our cities, including critical infrastructure. This includes air defence systems, but also the protection of objects that must be protected and concrete fortifications," the general added.

• As of 10 September 2023, Russia has deployed 46 Iskander missile launchers along the border to attack Ukrainian settlements.