Everyone did not believe in the war: Podolyak called the mistakes of Ukraine's power on the first day of the Russian invasion
The adviser to the head of the Presidential Office of Ukraine (OP) Mikhail Podolyak in an interview with "Facts" told about it. On the morning of February 24, the command of psychologically was not ready for the explosion of bridges and thought about the destruction of a comfortable life of people. "It is difficult for any caring owner to destroy what he created with his own hands. Here I consider this leisurely a fundamental mistake.
At 6:00 pm I have already seen in his eyes the determination: for the protection of the country we will destroy everything with these Russian rusty tanks,"-he said adviser. . The authorities thought on the first day of the war that the Russian invaders would be careful about houses, bridges and other infrastructure, he continued. "It is not naivety. Just care - our cool national quality, unlike the Russians.
Look, the difference is fundamental: which in Russia the cities and villages are under -examined, there are no roads and infrastructure, and how well we have a European country. Of course, you tell yourself : I cannot destroy my own, " - described the situation of Podolyak, the military understood the need for destruction to maximize the equipment and live power of the enemy's army. "We quickly figured out that we have a horde . . . We needed to ask weapons more decisively and talk more to them.
We tried not to act in the forehead, conditionally speaking . . . Humanine mistakes are, of course, one thing to work in a peaceful thing Time, the other is in the military, "he said. Until February 24, the Ukrainian military was able to properly dispersed the army and arsenals with weapons. Podolyak mentioned that in 2016-2018 several ammunition depots were blown up, which could be balanced today.
No one knew the exact date of the offensive, because the different dates of Western partners were called since October 2021. "The date of possible offensive was called 15 or 20. Of course, no one knew that it would attack February 24. The intelligence of our partners did not call specific terms, predictable directions and scale of blows. And European states in general categorically claimed that there would added the advisor. It was unrealistic to prepare for such a mass invasion, he was sure.
"There was an expectation of the inevitability of war. Therefore, the most intensive preparation of the army and terroborons went. The only thing that was really impossible to do - to tell people as harsh as possible:" You know, collect things and go from this country. "It would be wrong," - summed up . Podolyak.
The head of the Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine Kirill Budanov said that Ukrainian intelligence officers knew the exact date of the beginning of the war. Budanov acknowledged that the media did not always get what information was transmitted in closed channels. Russian economist Andriy Ilarionov stated that Vladimir Putin had decided to fight with Ukraine in January 2022.