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Putin claims Russian forces halting Ukrainian counteroffensive | Russia-Ukraine war News

Russian President Vladimir Putin said that The Ukrainian army has begun a long-expected counterattack and is suffering “significant” losses in its attempt to breach Moscow’s defenses in Ukraine.

“We can clearly say that the offensive has begun, as indicated by the use of strategic reserves by the Ukrainian army,” Putin told reporters in Sochi on Friday, where he is meeting with the heads of other countries in the Eurasian Economic Union.

“But the Ukrainian army failed to achieve the stated tasks in a single combat zone,” he said. “We see that the Ukrainian regime’s troops are suffering significant losses,” Putin said, without providing details.

He added: “It is well known that the attackers suffered 3-1 losses – that is classic – but in this case the losses far exceeded that of the classical level.

With almost no independent reports from the front line and Kyiv say little about its military operations, unable to gauge Putin’s claims or whether Ukraine is penetrating Russia’s defenses in an attempt to drive out the occupying forces.

Authorities in Ukraine have denied or declined to confirm whether their counter-offensive has begun, although analysts and military sources in Ukraine say the operation has begun gradually. in the context of reports of increased fighting in some areas along the front lines with Russian forces in the east and southeast of the country.

The Institute for the Study of War (ISW), a think tank based in Washington, DC, said on Friday that a “multiple indicators” indicate the Ukrainian counter-offensive has begun and warned that the the beginning of the campaign “may well be the highest”. Loss of Ukraine” as efforts were made to break through the front lines against the Russian defensive forces.

According to ISW, Putin’s direct mention of the Ukraine counterattack is an important departure for the Russian president, who has maintained “a remote approach to discussing the realities of the battlefield”.

The Kremlin has adopted a new information policy aimed at intensifying Russia’s “war against Western-supplied weapon systems” in the Ukraine counterattack, ISW said on Saturday.

The ISW said Russia’s claim that the counter-offensive had been quashed – an argument made by pro-Moscow military bloggers centered on destroyed and damaged Western military equipment aided to Ukraine – was premature. .

“Ukrainian officials directly acknowledge that Ukrainian forces are expected to suffer equipment losses during counter-operations,” the ISW said in its latest report. The ISW has previously said that the initial phase of Ukraine’s counter-offensive operations will likely be the most difficult and costly in terms of the number of people killed and equipment destroyed.

“The military has long identified the infiltration phase of a mechanized attack as the most dangerous and costly. The success or failure of this phase may not be clear for some time, ISW said.

In his nightly address on Friday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskky once again praised the heroism of his forces, “for all those who are in particularly difficult battles these days.” .

“We see your heroism and we are grateful to you for every minute of your life – a life that is truly Ukrainian,” he said.

Earlier on Friday, Ukraine’s Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar said Russia was on the defensive in the southeastern region of Zaporizhia, although The focus of the fighting is still in the eastespecially in the Donetsk region.

She describes the “heavy battles” at Lyman, Bakhmut, Avdiivka and Marinka.

Valerii Shershen, a spokesman for the Ukrainian armed forces in Zaporizhia, told Radio Liberty that Ukrainian forces are looking for weaknesses in Russia’s defenses, which Moscow is trying to strengthen by deploying mines, building up fortifications and regrouping.

A Ukrainian military success in the Zaporizhia region would allow its forces to cross the land bridge connecting Russia with the Crimean peninsula annexed by Moscow.

That would be a significant reversal for Russia.

The main element of the Ukrainian counterattackWhen it does take place, it is expected to involve thousands of Western-trained and equipped Ukrainian soldiers.

In total, Kiev has 12 brigades with a total of 50,000-60,000 troops ready to deploy in the counterattack. Nine of the brigades were armed and trained by the West.

Ben Barry, senior fellow on land warfare at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, said Ukraine’s priority in the early stages of the counter-offensive would be to try to keep the Russians off balance and gain any ground. tactical suspicion through deception and disguise.

The US Department of Defense also announced $2.1 billion in additional military assistance to Ukraine on Friday.

The latest package includes additional ammunition for the Patriot air defense system, the Raytheon HAWK missile and air defense system, 105 mm and 203 mm artillery shells, small hand-launched AeroVironment drones, and missile system ammunition. laser-guided fire and support training and maintenance, the defense department said.




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