Polish defense minister: Russia preparing for offensive operations
The recent Zapad 2017 large-scale Russian-Belarusian military exercises are evidence that Russia is preparing for offensive operations, said Polish Defense Minister Antoni Macierewicz, as reported by Ukrinform.
“The Zapad 2017 exercises ended two months ago. They were held in the space between the Arctic Ocean and the Black Sea, and even involved the launches of Iskander ballistic missiles, which can carry nuclear warheads. The Russians were not preparing for defense, but for aggression,” Macierewicz said.
“From this point of view, Poland must accept the assumption that this is not a new Cold War, it is preparation for a hot war,” the defense minister observed.
Macierewicz had said previously that Russian President Vladimir Putin wants to capture Ukraine in order to restore the empire.