London, Mar 18: During a visit to Ukraine, UK Defence Secretary Grant Shapps and Army Commander Antony Radakin have advised Ukraine’s senior leadership and military commanders on war strategy against the Russia as quoted by media reports.Shapps and Radakin met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Defence Minister Rustem Umierov, and the new Commander-in-Chief, Oleksandr Syrskyi, Ukrainska Pravda reported.
According to the media, Radakin was concerned that Syrskyi would become overly focused on ground battles, while the UK Commander spent two years attempting to develop a Ukrainian strategy based on Western military doctrine and the need to advance on land, in the air, and at sea.
Radakin, in particular, is actively involved in the development of a new Ukrainian Navy that meets NATO standards. He advised paying attention to the Iranian-style fleet, which consists of lighter, more manoeuvrable ships and drones capable of restraining Russia in the Black Sea while also protecting vital shipping routes for Ukrainian exports.
According to a news article, during a meeting at the Mariinsky Palace, Shapps and Radakin advised abandoning plans for a frontline offensive in favour of maintaining defence on the northern and eastern fronts and, if necessary, retreating to more advantageous positions to hold off the Russian Army, Ukrainska Pravda reported.
The UK officials hope that this will allow the Ukrainians to concentrate their efforts on the Black Sea and Crimea, where they have inflicted significant blows with the help of Western long-range missiles over the last six months.
According to media sources, Zelensky was enthusiastic and upbeat as well as willing to consider their proposals.
According to the news article, Ukraine recently achieved significant results against the Russia’s Black Sea Fleet, destroying several ships.