KIEV (dpa-AFX) – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj has dampened expectations of the ongoing Kiev offensive. “We must understand very clearly – as clearly as possible – that the Russian armed forces in our southern and eastern areas will do everything possible to stop our soldiers,” Zelenskyy said in his evening video address on Friday. Therefore one must be grateful for every kilometer that one’s own troops advance and for every success in battle, he warned. The statement is an indication of the difficulties faced by the Ukrainian military in its offensive.
After the NATO summit in Vilnius, from which Zelenskyj returned with promises from the G7 about a security partnership instead of an invitation to join NATO, the head of state’s attention was now more focused on current events at the front. At a meeting with the military leadership, the combat operations, the supply of the troops and the coordination with the partners in the supply of weapons and ammunition were discussed, the 45-year-old said. He also announced an upcoming reform of military training.
In early June, Ukrainian troops in the south began an offensive to retake areas occupied by Russia at the beginning of its more than 16-month war of aggression. So far, the Ukrainians’ gains in territory have been small. Both sides report heavy fighting./bal/DP/he