In the midst of a Kiev counter-offensive, the Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister said on Monday that her army had taken over nearly 40 square kilometers in the east and south of the country in the space of a week.
The Ukrainian army has recaptured 37 square kilometers in the east and south of the country from Russian forces in a week as part of its counter-offensive, Deputy Defense Minister Ganna Maliar said on Monday.
In the South, “the liberated territories have increased by 28.4 square kilometres”, bringing to 158 km2 the total area recovered in this area since the launch of the counter-offensive in early June, said Ganna Maliar. In the east, kyiv’s gains only reached 9 square kilometres, she said.
“The enemy is resisting strongly, a very tough duel is underway,” said Ganna Maliar.
According to her, Russian troops for their part launched an offensive at the end of last week near Svatove, in the eastern region of Lugansk.
Moscow offensive towards Donetsk
The Russians “are trying to advance towards Lyman”, a town in the Donetsk region taken over by the Ukrainian army last fall, according to Ganna Maliar.
On Sunday, Ganna Maliar had already reported “fierce fighting” in four areas of the eastern front line where Russian troops are “advancing”.
Ukrainian army commander Valery Zalouzhny said his troops were limited in their counter-offensive by the slow delivery of Western weapons and a lack of armaments, including fighter jets, in a rare interview published on Friday. by the American daily The Washington Post.
“It pisses me off,” he said of Westerners complaining about kyiv’s slow progress against the Russians.
To compete with Moscow, Ukraine needs the promised F-16 fighter planes as soon as possible, insisted the Ukrainian general, also complaining of a lack of artillery in the face of the deluge of Russian fire.
US Chief of Staff Mark Milley, for his part, assured Ukraine on Friday of “all possible assistance”, while acknowledging that the counter-offensive “is going more slowly than we had predicted”.
He said he would not rule out delivery of F-16s or ATACMS tactical missiles, although “no decision has been made yet.”
Source: BFM TV
