The mayor of Lviv, one of a few Ukrainian cities still untouched by war, said Monday that his country is determined to repel the Russian invasion even if it means "sacrificing one million people".
Andriy Ivanovych Sadovyi told Ynet despite the tense atmosphere, him and his office personnel continue to operate as usual, saying Ukraine is going "to beat the second largest army on the planet".
On Sunday, a military facility in Yavoriv on the outskirts of Lviv was almost completely destroyed in a Russian attack. Those who were there a week ago said that some 100,000 men, some of them are new recruits, were at the base, undergoing a fast-track army training before going into battle. It appears the Russian intelligence received a tip on the actions in the base, before deciding to bomb it.
Sadovyi said at least 35 people died in the mass bombardment. "This is the second missile strike in the last few days being carried out near the Polish border, and this time it is only some 20 kilometers (12 miles) from the border," he said.
"I think the mayors in Poland have only now begun to understand how urgent this matter is."
Sadovyi said he isn't trying to get inside Russian President Vladimir Putin's head to understand his motives for the invasion. "To understand him you need the best medical experts, and a lot of them," he said.
Despite the heavy personnel losses, he is convinced that Ukraine will have the upper hand in the end. "Ukraine will win the war. The question is just what will be the price we will have to pay, it could be 10,000 dead, maybe 100,000 dead, and maybe even a million people who will have to sacrifice themselves, but we are willing to sacrifice a million if needed."
Like many in Ukraine's government, Sadovyi reiterates Kyiv's warning to the West, saying Putin does not intend to stop his expansion efforts at Ukraine. "If NATO and the world won't intervene soon, provide the military equipment that we need, and enforce a policy of 'no-fly zone' on the Russians, eventually, they will have to deal with Putin themselves, because he sees Ukraine only as a corridor towards his bigger objective."
He said that his country is in dire need of air-defense weapons systems and fighter jets. "The Poles are willing to provide us with such weapons, but it's not going to happen because of U.S. President Joe Biden, who vetoed this aid," he said, referring to U.S. decision not to allow the Polish government to transfer its fighter jets to the Ukrainians.
"The Americans need to understand that we are fighting instead of NATO right now because Putin's plan is to invade and set up a corridor all the way to Kaliningrad (a Russian port city located between Poland and Lithuania) and then, invade the Baltic states, and generally undermine the situation in Europe."
"The faster we get high-quality weapons and ammunition, the faster we can repel Putin. Last week, more than 100,000 men returned to Ukraine from abroad to fight the Russians, and they are highly motivated, but even motivated people need bulletproof vests," he said.
According to the mayor, Ukraine was preparing for the Russian invasion for six months.
"We are prepared to defend our country but we do not have enough weapons to do so. At the moment, Putin attacks targets 20 kilometers from the Polish border, but what if soon enough, even by accident, a Russian missile falls at the other side of the border? Then the world will join us in the conflict. So why won't they join now? I think it's in everyone's best interest to stop him."