For the effective operation of the Ukrainian army, it is necessary to have weapons at all levels, first of all, modern air defense systems and artillery, commander of the Third Separate Assault Brigade as part of the Ground Forces of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Colonel Andriy Biletsky has said.

During an online participation as part of the 16th annual Kyiv Security Forum, founded by Arseniy Yatsenyuk's Open Ukraine Foundation, Biletsky expressed the opinion that Avdiyivka could be held with existing forces if two components in which the Russian Federation dominates could be resolved: aviation and artillery.

The aviation component, according to the commander, can be solved with the help of a larger number of modern air defenses, and the artillery component includes not only shells, but also the number of barrels and new counter-battery systems.

"It would have been possible to hold Avdiyivka even in such a situation if we had solved these two big problems. And these are the two problems that have not yet been resolved and continue to be critically important for us," Biletsky said.

He also noted that at the peak of the offensive on Avdiyivka, the ratio of Russians to the soldiers of the Third Assault was 7:1, and approximately the same ratio in other units.

"You can fight, but you need some components. If we say about it, than I, as a Ukrainian military man, would expect from 2024 a solution to two key issues," he added.

Thus, the commander of the Third Assault emphasized that in order to effectively counter the enemy, a law on mobilization must be adopted, and the West needs to provide Ukrainian soldiers with weapons and ammunition.

Speaking about what Ukraine needs most now, Biletsky said: "Absolutely everything."

"There are no miracle weapons. There is no missile or plane or tank that will solve problems at the front. War is a complex action, and weapons in war are always a combination of means," he said.

Thus, the commander indicated that Ukraine needs weapons of all levels for the army to operate effectively, from small arms to operational missiles.

"First of all, if we highlight, these are air defense systems - the air force component, where we cannot compete with the Russians, as well as artillery weapons across its entire latitude," he added.

The brigade commander also stated that he believes "that there are still enough forces and capabilities to defeat the Russian Federation, the main thing is to use them effectively."

The 16th annual Kyiv Security Forum takes place on March 21-22.