President Volodymyr Zelensky has warned Ukrainian officials to stop talking about the military campaign against Russia, saying that war was “definitely not the time for vanity and loud statements.”
In a video message on Thursday, Zelensky sternly addressed military commanders and state officials.
“The less concrete details you give about our defense plans, the better it will be for the implementation of those defense plans,” Zelensky.
“You should feel your responsibility for every word you say about what our state prepares for in defense or counteroffensives.”
“The general rule is simple: war is definitely not the time for vanity and loud statements.”
Zelensky’s remarks come after a senior Ukrainian commander spoke at length about plans to liberate the southern city of Kherson from Russian forces by the end of the year.
In an interview, Major General Dmytro Marchenko spoke about Ukrainian operations to disable bridges across the River Dnipro used by Russian forces to resupply their units in Kherson. “I want to convey to the people of Kherson … it will not be as long as everyone expects. It will be fast,” Marchenko said.
Zelensky did not mention Marchenko by name in his video address but Ukrainian defence officials said that investigations into “a high-ranking military officer” were underway.
