Tuka explains why Ukraine failed to hold on to Crimea

He recalled that during the seizure of the peninsula by Russian forces, 80% of the SBU operatives in the area betrayed Ukraine and pledged allegiance to the aggressor state.

Read alsoDeputy Minister: I consider enemies those calling to "let go of Donbas""In places where local authorities became traitors, we lost Ukraine. Where the local governments resisted, we saved Ukraine. If Ukraine offered a rebuff in Crimea, the events could have been much worse than what we've seen. Had the armed confrontation began there right away, we would have had to deploy our Armed Forces in Crimea because the Russian military had the advantage both in the training and supplies. Had we engaged at that moment, I am sure we would've not had the prowess to hold our ground in the east. Remember how it was in Kharkiv, Dnipro, Zaporizhia?" Tuka said during a chat on Glavred.

"In addition, Russia could start a full-fledged war, since there was a huge number of legal Russian troops on the peninsula, in addition to the 'cossacks.' And in the case of our moves against 'regular troops,' we would immediately hear accusations that 'the Bandera junta went against the Russian world,' and we would see a response from the regular army," Tuka added.