Russian President Vladimir Putin has claimed Ukraine has lost “over 90,000 people” since June 4 in its stalling “counteroffensive.”
The Russian leader said the Ukrainian effort to reach Crimea and Mariupol “has failed completely.”
“As for the counteroffensive, which is apparently stalling – it has failed completely,” Putin said in an interview with reporter Pavel Zarubin, published on Sunday.
“We know that in certain areas of the hostilities, however, the opposing side is preparing new active offensive operations.”
“We see this, and we know it. And we are also responding to this accordingly,” Putin added.
Russia had begun improving its positions in the face of the faltering Ukrainian attack.
Putin claimed:
“What is currently happening along the entire frontline is called an ‘active defense.’”
“Our troops are improving their positions over a considerable expanse of this area, a fairly extensive one,” Putin said.
“Russia currently controls about 17.5% of Ukrainian territory and a four-month-old Ukrainian counteroffensive this year by Ukrainian forces has made almost no net territorial gains, according to Western analyses of the territory held by Russia”, Reuters reports.
Russia also claims that Ukraine has lost 557 tanks and almost 1,900 armored vehicles during the offensive.
“The situation looks stable, solid,” Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said.
“The troops are acting very professionally, exhibit heroism at many locations, displaying confidence not to only hold their positions, but to continue the realization of the plans we had outlined.”
Speaking to Judge Andrew Napolitano, Prof. John Mearsheimer said Ukraine is “finished”:
“Admiral Kirby’s comments that we’re not going to continue funding Ukraine for the long term basically means that they’re finished.”
“That is, as everyone understands, if we pull the plug on the Ukrainians, they don’t have the weapons, they don’t have the financial resources to continue this fight, and the Russians will overwhelm them,” he said.
“Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky puts on a fine show of confidence, but he makes no secret of the lagging popular support in Europe and the United States for Washington’s proxy war,” Col. Douglas MacGregro said on Twitter/X.
“He knows NATO is in trouble. Frankly, the alliance was never designed to wage offensive warfare against anyone.”
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky puts on a fine show of confidence, but he makes no secret of the lagging popular support in Europe and the United States for Washington’s proxy war.
— Douglas Macgregor (@DougAMacgregor) October 17, 2023
He knows NATO is in trouble.
Frankly, the alliance was never designed to wage offensive…
