Ukraine claimed progress in its counter-offensive on Thursday, but acknowledged that Russian troops are putting up “strong resistance”, especially in the south of the country.
Ukrainian deputy defense minister Hanna Maliar said Kyiv’s forces had advanced “more than three kilometers” in the eastern area of Bakhmut in the past 10 days.
“We recorded the movement of an enemy airborne unit from the south, exactly in the direction of Bakhmut”Maliar explained at a press conference, according to the Ukrainian news agency Ukrinform.
Maliar said the Russians had gathered troops and military equipment in the Bakhmut area “to stop the advance” of Ukrainian troops.
“The enemy cannot advance in this zone and cannot effectively restrain the forces” Ukrainians, he said.
In the south, there was “a gradual but definite advance” by the Ukrainian army, despite “the enemy putting up strong resistance,” said the deputy defense minister, also quoted by France’s AFP agency.
Maliar said Ukrainian forces faced heavy shelling in the south and faced minefields.
Russia has said in recent days that it has destroyed 25% to 30% of Western weapons received by Ukraine and released photos and videos of US and German tanks damaged or abandoned.
Information about the course of the war claimed by Ukrainians and Russians cannot be immediately verified by independent sources.
The only certainty is that Ukrainian troops, faced with mine-barriers and savage artillery, are expected to suffer casualties as they try to break through Russian defense lines, AFP said.
According to the specialized website Oryx, which uses photos and videos taken on the battlefield, Kiev lost four German Leopard tanks, two French reconnaissance tanks and more than 70 Western infantry fighting vehicles.
‘The battle will undoubtedly get tougher’said Jack Watling of the British think tank Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), quoted by AFP.
“For Ukraine’s international partners, the summer is likely to be very uncomfortable. Casualties will increase and successes will take time to become reality.”warned.
The RUSI expert considered training programs for its units and the mobilization of the defense industry “to provide Ukraine with military equipment in the long term” as essential for Ukraine.
Despite European efforts to speed up the pace of production, some countries have already warned of the limits.
“We can’t replace all the tanks that no longer work”German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said Monday.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg today urged the need to ensure that the Ukrainians have “the necessary weapons and supplies to continue the offensive”.
The issue will be the focus of a meeting of the Contact Group of Ukraine in Brussels on Thursday, attended by defense industrialists, ahead of a meeting of Alliance defense ministers.
Source: DN
