(Dan Tri) – NATO Secretary General confirmed that Ukraine used missiles provided by NATO to attack Russian naval ships in the Black Sea.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg held a press conference on the 2023 Annual Report at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium on March 14 (Photo: Getty).
`One of the big victories that Ukraine achieved was being able to repel the Russian Black Sea Fleet and destroy many other ships, ensuring an open corridor from Odessa to the Bosporus,` NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg declared.
Mr. Stoltenberg admitted that `some missiles, some systems that are very important in opening this corridor are provided by NATO allies.`
Russia’s Black Sea Fleet has suffered heavy losses from Ukrainian raids since the conflict began in February 2022.
British Defense Minister Grant Shapps said last December that Russia had lost 20% of its Black Sea fleet in the previous four months, and declared that `Russia’s dominance in the Black Sea is being challenged`.
Dmytro Pletenchuk, spokesman for the Ukrainian Navy, also said on March 6 that one-third of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet had been destroyed after attacks since the beginning of the conflict.
Ukraine’s persistent attacks, in which Kiev often uses naval drones and drones as well as Western-supplied cruise missiles, have pushed Russia east of the Black Sea, threatening its security.
The head of Ukraine’s military intelligence agency (GUR) Kirill Budanov earlier this week announced that Kiev’s recent attacks on Crimea were paving the way for a `serious operation` against the Russian-controlled peninsula.
NATO Secretary General warns of historic mistake
Speaking at the conference in Brussels, Mr. Stoltenberg emphasized that Ukraine has proven its ability to defeat Russia on the battlefield and has maintained the war so far thanks to the `unprecedented` support of NATO countries.
However, the NATO Secretary General warned that Kiev is `running out of ammunition`.
`All allies need to act quickly,` Mr. Stoltenberg emphasized, adding that every day of delay has `real consequences` on the Ukrainian battlefield.
`This is a critical moment. And it would be a serious historic mistake to let Russia prevail,` Mr. Stoltenberg said, adding that such an outcome would be `dangerous for all of us.`
Mr. Stoltenberg said that despite Russia’s efforts to `close NATO`, the bloc continues to grow, admitting Finland and Sweden while `Ukraine is moving closer to NATO than ever`.
Moscow has repeatedly warned that NATO continues to expand towards Russia’s borders and the possibility of Ukraine becoming a NATO member is one of the main reasons why Russia launched its military campaign in the neighboring country.
Last month, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the Ukraine conflict was a matter of `death and survival` for Moscow, while for the West it was simply a matter of `improving tactical positions`.
