Ukrainian Army Commander Warns of 'Widespread' Russian Invasion

The Chief of Staff of the Ukrainian Army warned in an interview with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty about the possibility of a 'widespread' Russian invasion of Ukraine at any time. Viktor Muzhenko, the senior commander of the Ukrainian Army, stated on February 25 that 'we must be prepared for [the invasion] right now, tomorrow, next week, next year, three years from now... as long as this threat [against Ukraine] remains ongoing.' According to General Muzhenko, among the existing threats is a 'full-scale invasion' of Ukraine by Russia. This military official's warning coincides with the approval and signing of a law by the President of Ukraine related to military operations in the eastern borders of the country. Eastern Ukraine has been the scene of violence, conflicts, and battles between government forces and separatists supported by Moscow since 2014. The new law from the Ukrainian government places all military operations and actions in these areas under the protective and guiding umbrella of the senior command of the Ukrainian Army. Viktor Muzhenko emphasized that this law ends what has been referred to as 'anti-terrorist operations' in eastern Ukraine and that 'from now on, the Joint Staff will decide on how operations will be conducted.' Supporters of the new law claim that with these new measures, Kyiv will succeed in regaining control of the eastern regions that have fallen out of the central government's control. General Muzhenko stated that this way, 'Ukrainian military forces (in the east) will be managed more efficiently.' This commander of the Ukrainian Army added that the recent decision by the United States to send advanced weaponry, including anti-tank military equipment, to Kyiv is of 'great military, political, and psychological importance.' Since 2014, more than ten thousand people have lost their lives in the violence in eastern Ukraine.