He has been preparing for this attack all his life. Reznikov described the atmosphere in Zaluzhnyi’s office in the first hours of the full-scale invasion
In fact, immediately after the first reports of a full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation, the building of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine began to resemble a large termite mound, where construction soldiers, loaded with sandbags, were building their section of a large defensive contour.
Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov spoke about this in the Ukrainian Pravda podcast.
– When you entered the building of the Ministry of Defense – there were a lot of posts there – then all the guys on duty were just in uniform. And when I drove by around 5 in the morning on the 24th, they were all already in bulletproof vests, helmets, with automatic weapons, with horns. That is, in full battle dress. It was immediately apparent. And instantly bags began to grow, from which fortifications and battle positions were made, – he recalled.
According to him, military operations were already being conducted in the reception room of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, General Valery Zaluzhnyi.
– Reports of relevant commanders from different directions were received: what is happening, where, in which direction. When receiving reports, they gave an appropriate reaction. They report: “So-and-so is happening, we are doing so-and-so.” Okay. If Zaluzhnyi saw that, for example, artillery support was needed, a column was coming, he called the person in charge of the artillery. He says: “Can you inflict damage?”. “Yes, communicate.” There was a real live management of the troops, – the minister said.
He noted that communication took place through all means: special communication, protected phones, just ordinary messengers, etc.
The head of the Ministry of Defense added that he did not remember any particular change that would have happened to Zaluzhnyi.
– He has always been focused since I met him. That is why he remained so. Nothing has changed for him. He has been preparing all his life for this attack, and now this moment had come. Zaluzhnyi was just doing his job. And this always gives such confidence. Because you see him, and Moysiuk (Zaluzhnyi’s deputy, – Ed.) is the same, Shaptala (Chief of the General Staff, – Ed.) is the same – absolutely calm, – he emphasized.
Earlier, the adviser to the head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Mykhailo Podolyak, told what February 24 was like in his memory, what risks were the greatest in the first hours, and why the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy did not leave the country, despite the risks of assassination attempts.
