US General Ben Hodges: Ukraine Can Liberate Crimea

• 28.05.2026, 14:05

The first phase is to cut the road to Dzhankoy.

Former commander of the US Army in Europe Ben Hodges said that to liberate occupied Crimea Ukraine needs to first isolate the peninsula and make it impossible for Russian forces to stay there.

Hodges said this in an interview with Ukrinform:

"It sounds a bit simplistic, but the first phase... before liberating Crimea is to isolate it, cut the road to Dzhankoy, destroy the bridge. The second is to make it unusable, impossible for the Russians to use it."

He said Ukraine has the capability to launch pinpoint strikes across Crimea, so it must continue to hit airfields, remnants of the navy, logistics hubs and other military facilities to prevent Russian forces from effectively using the peninsula.

Hodges emphasized the need to cut off all supply routes to Crimea - both the road to Dzhankoy and the Kerch bridge, which he called a facility with "enormous psychological impact."

"The Kerch bridge is already damaged and in some places 'holey.' It is a vulnerable place, but it also has a huge psychological impact. And as long as this bridge stands, even after peace is finally agreed upon, it will be an obstacle for Ukraine in being able to access the Sea of Azov. Consequently, this bridge will fall sooner or later," the officer believes.

He also noted that the more difficult task will be to force Russian forces to leave the peninsula.

Hodges believes this can be achieved through systemic pressure and strikes on infrastructure, including oil and gas facilities.

"I still believe that Crimea is the most important place, the point of this war. And the side controlling Crimea is winning the war. I cannot envision ending the war and achieving long-term sustainable peace if Russia continues to control Crimea," he said.

Hodges added that as long as Russia holds Crimea, Ukraine will not be able to regain full access to the Sea of Azov and restore Mariupol and Berdyansk, and there will continue to be a threat to shipping in the Black Sea.

"And, of course, Russia could still impede shipping from Odessa or Nikolaev, for example. So the issue of Crimea must be resolved," he said.