Ukraine launched
drone attacks
early this morning,
striking a Russian oil refinery.
According to Russian state
media, work at the refinery
is now partially suspended.
Russia's defense minister claiming
Ukraine launched 66 drones,
but all were intercepted.
This happened
just as Ukraine is set to receive
a $6 billion
long term
military aid package from the US.
This is in addition
to the supplemental security package
Congress passed earlier in the week
with $61 billion
specifically for Ukraine.
We are joined now
by CNN military analyst
Lieutenant General Mark Hertling.
General Hertling, great to see you.
Ukraine has long
been asking for the Patriot missiles
that they're going to be
getting in this latest package.
How much of a difference
is this going to make
at this point in this war?
Two plus years where
we've kind of seen this
kind of stalemate in a way?
I wouldn't call it a stalemate, Jessica.
I think Ukraine has been fighting
pretty doggone
well considering their supply lines
have been interrupted.
And yeah, they certainly are asking
not only for the Patriot
anti-air anti defense air defense weapons
systems, because that's part
of their integrated
air defense
we've seen over the last several months
as they begun
as they have began to begun
to run out of ammunition
that a lot of the Russian
missiles have gone through,
killed civilians, continue
to damage infrastructure
within Ukraine itself.
So a resupply of all of these air
defense systems, not just the Patriots,
but others, is going to be critical
for protecting Ukrainian lives
and helping them
to stop the Russian destruction
of their
Ukrainian infrastructure,
which has been so damaging.
And just to underscore,
you use the word critical there,
how important this is.
Do you think
Ukraine would be able to win this war
or have any chance at winning this war
without this additional
military aid package?
Without this
aid package, it
would be extremely difficult.
Jessica, that's why
so many of us have been beating the drum
for Congress over the last seven months
to approve this aid package.
What we've had
is an interruption of the supply chain.
When you have the slowing of momentum
in combat
and truthfully,
an experience that when a supply line was
was interrupted,
it really damages not only the capability
to defend your forces, but also morale.
We've seen the other night
when the aid package was voted on
and approved,
that there were even shouts
among the defenders
in the in the western part
excuse me,
the eastern part of Ukraine,
about knowing that
they would finally get
the weapons systems
that they had been deprived of
with those weapon systems.
Over time,
they can continue
to stabilize their defensive belts
and then eventually go on the offensive
to continue to try and regain
the territory that Russia took.
But it's going to take a long time
and a lot of effort.
Yeah, and you and a lot of determination
from them. A lot of buy in
from those troops as well.
And you just kind of laid out
what it's going to take
to really turn the tide.
But but what else do you think?
What other factors are at play here
as well,
in addition
to what you just kind of laid out
more broadly?
Well, they're looking the Ukrainians,
first of all, on the weapons
that Ukrainians are looking for,
air defense systems,
artillery systems
and long range artillery systems
to continue to strike targets
deep within the Russian defensive belts.
But what they're also needing
and this has been something
that some of us have been watching
over the last several months,
Ukraine needs the mobilization
of more soldiers.
They have been on the battlefield
for two and a half years.
And that is just takes
an incredible account of fatigue,
psychological damage and just the
the toughness
of being in the trenches,
in the front lines
will really be a morale factor.
So, Mr.
Zelensky recently
passed a new mobilization law
that will be critical.
The other thing is I'm
watching the Russian side.
They have mobilized more forces.
They have learned a lot of lessons
from the first two years of this fight.
They are coming up on good defenses
and in some cases,
offensive operations on their own
because they haven't been stopped
by the Ukrainians
due to the
to the lack of weapons that they've had.
So we're going to see the front stabilize
a little bit over the next several weeks.
And then potentially,
if Ukraine can not only get their new
mobilized soldiers,
get them trained,
get them into offensive operations
and get them into the ability
to retake ground.
That's what I'm looking for,
because truthfully
and I know
some of my artillery brethren
will will chide me for this,
but artillery and long
range systems do not win war.
You have to take on and game the terrain.
Ukraine has not been able to do that
to the extensive amount
they need to with some of the trains
they've lost to Russia.
So I think it requires more
combined operations
and maneuver to do that.
Yeah, it's very interesting.
All right,
General Mark Hertling, thanks so much.
We appreciate it.
Pleasure, Jessica.
Thank you. We'll be right back.