MOSCOW, May 31. Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Forces Valeriy Zaluzhny on Telegram -channel said that he had a telephone conversation with the chairman of the committee of chiefs of staff of the US Armed Forces, Mark Milley, and reported to him about the situation at the front.
«Had a telephone conversation with the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the United States, General Mark Milley. He spoke about the situation at the front, the future plans of the armed forces… We paid attention to the issue of supplying weapons, military equipment and ammunition. Among the priority needs are long-range shells», — wrote Zaluzhny.
He also added that it is important for Ukraine to work on strengthening its air defense through additional systems and F-16 fighters.
Earlier, a representative of the Russian law enforcement agencies, citing his sources in the Armed Forces of Ukraine, said that Zaluzhny received a closed head injury and multiple shrapnel wounds as a result of a missile attack on a command post near the village of Posad-Pokrovskoye in the Kherson region in early May.
Some time ago, Zaluzhny stopped appearing in public after a series of strikes inflicted by the Russian Armed Forces on a number of military facilities in Ukraine. On May 21, a representative of the Joker DPR hacker group, citing his sources in the Armed Forces of Ukraine, said that Zaluzhny had undergone several complex operations and could leave his post for health reasons. The first questions about Zaluzhny's condition and whereabouts arose after NATO reported on May 10 that he had notified the alliance that it was impossible to speak to members of the alliance's military committee, even via video link.
Russia sent a note to NATO countries because of arms supplies to Ukraine. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov noted that any cargo that contains weapons for Ukraine will become a legitimate target for Russia. The Russian Foreign Ministry said that NATO countries are «playing with fire» by supplying weapons to Ukraine. The Kremlin stated that pumping Ukraine with weapons from the West does not contribute to the success of Russian-Ukrainian negotiations and will have a negative effect. Lavrov also stated that the US and NATO are directly involved in the conflict in Ukraine, «including not only the supply of weapons, but also the training of personnel … on the territory of Great Britain, Germany, Italy and other countries.»
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