- Zelenskyy has admitted that Ukraine had experienced a “difficult” week in its counter-offensive.
- Sergei Shoigu, the defence minister, claims Russia has destroyed a wealth of Ukrainian equipment.
- Russian leader of the Zaporizhzhia region, Yevgeny Balitsky, claims around 20,000 Ukrainian troops have died fighting in the region.
- Do not underestimate Russia’s ability to overcome adversity, a top NATO officer has warned.
Zelenskyy has admitted that Ukraine had experienced a “difficult” week in its counteroffensive. Russia has now put out a series of claims via state media that indicate Ukraine suffered heavy losses of both troops and valuable military equipment in recent weeks.
Sergei Shoigu, the defence minister, claims Russia has destroyed a wealth of Ukrainian equipment, including 15 unspecified aircraft, Three helicopters 920 armoured vehicles, including 16 Leopard tanks. He is also quoted by RIA as saying that Ukraine has lost 2,500 various pieces of weaponry since 4 June.
In addition to these claims, the Russian leader of the Zaporizhzhia region, Yevgeny Balitsky, claims around 20,000 Ukrainian troops have died fighting in the region. Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said Ukraine is making progress in its counteroffensive efforts, despite admitting to a “difficult” past week.
The Ukrainian president shared drone footage showing engagements with Russian forces on the frontlines, saying: “We are moving forward, step by step.” He added: “I thank everyone who is defending Ukraine, everyone who is leading this war to Ukraine’s victory.”
Ukrainian officials earlier reported “intense” resistance on the eastern front over the weekend, despite some gains in the south.
Do not underestimate Russia’s ability to overcome adversity, a top NATO officer has warned. “They might not be 11ft tall, but they are certainly not 2ft tall,” said Admiral Rob Bauer, chairman of NATO’s military committee. “We should never underestimate the Russians and their ability to bounce back.” The admiral’s comments come with NATO on the brink of a major overhaul of its planning protocols – set to be discussed at a conference in Vilnius next week. Plans include being able to mobilise and deploy 300,000 troops to the alliance’s eastern flank within 30 days.
As an organization, NATO has not directly provided any support to Ukraine but has spent vast sums massively reinforcing bordering member states, including Estonia, Romania and Lithuania.
(With inputs from Agencies)
