Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Friday that Ukrainian armed forces had lost more than 125,000 soldiers in the past six months during their military counter-offensive, which failed to deliver relevant strategic gains.
“Full mobilization in Ukraine, the supply of Western weapons and the introduction of strategic reserves into the battle by the Ukrainian command have not changed the situation on the battlefield”said Shoigu, who emphasized that these “desperate actions” only led to more casualties on the Ukrainian side.
Shoigu praised the capabilities of Russian forces, who acted “competently and decisively” to inflict damage on the Ukrainian side, which lost 16,000 weapons, according to Russian news agency TASS.
“We will continue to conduct active defense and increase the combat potential of the armed forces”Shoigu said, adding that Russia is building a total of seven training camps on occupied Ukrainian territory, two of which are already ready for use.
Finally, the Russian defense official said further training of military personnel is planned for 2024, to complete the tasks of the “special military operation,” Moscow’s euphemism for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which began in February 2022.
Source: DN
