hankyoreh

Ukrainian deputy defense minister Hanna Maliar poses for a photograph following her interview with the Hankyoreh at her office in Kyiv. (Noh Ji-won/The Hankyoreh)

Following a visit to the US by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Dec. 21, the US and other countries decided to provide Ukraine with Patriot anti-air missiles, light tanks and other armaments. Ukrainian deputy defense minister Hanna Maliar, 44, discussed this military aid during an interview with the Hankyoreh at her office in Kyiv on Jan. 3.

Maliar said that the Ukrainian forces putting Patriot missiles and other new weapon systems to use in such an intense conflict would also be a good opportunity for Ukraine’s partners in the West. In effect, Ukraine will be testing the performance of the armaments it is being provided, which will help Western countries boost their own defense capabilities.

Maliar accompanied Zelenskyy when he paid a visit to the city of Bakhmut, in Donetsk Oblast, on Dec. 20, shortly before he traveled to the US. The Hankyoreh asked her about the fighting in Bakhmut and about her projections for the war.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy meets with Ukrainian soldiers on a Dec. 20 visit to Bakhmut, in Donetsk Oblast, where a fierce battle is underway with the Russian army. (Screenshot of Hanna Maliar’s Facebook page)

Hanna Maliar: The current epicenter of the fighting is in the Donetsk region. Russia has concentrated the biggest number of weapons, armor and personnel in that area. As we speak, there’s heavy fighting going on and soldiers dying on both sides. Ukraine is actively defending the area. Russians tried to enter the city of Bakhmut and capture it, but in doing so they suffered great losses and didn’t manage to do so. So now their plan has shifted to trying to encircle the city. They have practically destroyed it. The fighting can be constantly heard there.

Maliar: It is very important during the war when the president comes to see and support our soldiers. I was also impressed to see the reactions of the soldiers, because they didn’t know they would be getting their awards directly from the president himself. Due to security concerns, none of them knew about him coming there. It was an immense risk.

Maliar: There is certainly some symbolism in that. Bakhmut is the current epicenter of military action. The Ukrainian army is firmly holding its ground there, but it wouldn’t be possible without Western support. Bakhmut is the symbol of all that.

Maliar: Russia cannot win on the battlefield, so they use such missile strikes to destroy Ukraine. Their goal is to destroy the electricity grid and leave the civilian population of Ukraine without heat and power during winter. They’ve already partially destroyed this system; we’re experiencing serious problems in that regard.

Maliar: You were able to see for yourself: We have daily air-raid alerts and constant missile and drone attacks from Russia. There’s no safe place in the whole country. At this time, most of our children are studying in basements instead of classrooms. Due to these circumstances, such systems are our only choice if we want to secure the safety of our infrastructure.

Maliar: Our soldiers are exceptionally motivated to defend our land. When the usual training could take two to three months, our soldiers can master that in mere weeks. Also, our soldiers are getting invaluable experience in using those systems on the field, so they could later become the ones to train others. Trying these systems out in such intensive war conditions is a great opportunity for our partners to test their newer weapons.

Maliar:Absolutely, Ukraine does everything possible to develop its own military capabilities. Because we’re in a state of war, we cannot disclose the details currently, since our enemy is also gathering intelligence. But we are certainly working on that effort. For example, there’s a defense company called Ukroboronprom [Ukrainian Defense Industry] that has recently started the production of 152mm shells.

Maliar: We need long-range weapons in order to reach parity with Russia in that respect. And we’re in need of anti-air/anti-missile defense systems.

Maliar: Russia is the one who changed our partners’ opinion. With every missile attack, the opinion of our partners is shifting, and they understand that we need those weapons. The atrocities that Russia committed in Bucha were the first thing that greatly convinced our partners that we have to fight back against a country that wages such a barbaric war in the 21st century.

When, in the 21st century, [a country’s] energy system is destroyed and people are left without heating in winter, without water, shops aren’t open so you can’t go and buy food for your children — such things make an impression on Western countries, and we all understand that Russia must be stopped.

Maliar: When Russia withdraws its forces from the temporarily occupied territories. The war will be over when Russia stops.

Maliar: This was a common New Year's wish for all Ukrainians. But it’s difficult to predict anything. Russia is counting on and is ready for prolonged war. If we want to finish this quickly, we’ll need substantial military support.

By Noh Ji-won, Berlin correspondent

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