According to Ukrinform, Budanov made the remarks in an interview with RBC-Ukraine.
"Our main task now is to cut off all of this southern logistics, because the supply lines for the Dnipro grouping pass through the territory of the temporarily occupied Autonomous Republic of Crimea, and they are critically important," Budanov said.
At the same time, he appealed to Crimean residents who recognize that the peninsula is an inseparable part of Ukraine to understand the current situation, stressing that the ultimate goal is the return of Crimea.
"I understand that, alongside the successful strikes against the enemy, people also face personal hardships. It is a fact that there is a shortage of gasoline. There are major power outages and, quite often, interruptions to the water supply, which are mostly a consequence of electricity disruptions. But all of these inconveniences serve a greater purpose, and that greater purpose is bringing Crimea back home," he said.
Read also: ISW: Russians increasingly interested in end of war in UkraineAccording to Budanov, the increased intensity of strikes against Russian targets has become possible because Ukraine has significantly expanded its domestic defense production.
Asked what had led to the noticeable improvement in both the number and effectiveness of strikes on Russian targets, he replied:
"The breakthrough is in quantity. Our domestic production has reached a level that allows us to significantly increase the intensity of operations. And greater intensity makes it possible to achieve concrete results."
Budanov noted that Ukraine has long sought to reduce the effectiveness of Russian logistics through various means, with varying degrees of success.
"Now, with the rapid development of technology—which everyone can clearly see—it has become easier for us to do this. Taken together, this will certainly help us. At the moment, we simply have no alternative," he said.
He also described the growing number of Russian strikes against Ukrainian fuel stations, particularly in frontline regions, as "a major problem" and assured that measures would be taken to address it. At the same time, Budanov said he saw no signs of an emerging fuel shortage in Kyiv.
As Ukrinform previously reported, a fire was recorded near a major electrical substation and a railway station in Saky, in temporarily occupied Crimea.
President Volodymyr Zelensky has previously stated that Ukraine has reached a level of production of advanced technological weapons that could surpass Russia's capabilities over the long term.
Photo: Office of the President of Ukraine
