Zelenskyy optimistic about the success of the Ukrainian counter-offensive
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy assumes that Russia will lose the war against Ukraine if Ukraine’s current counter-offensive is successful. “Our heroic people, our troops on the front lines are facing very tough resistance,” he said in an interview with US broadcaster NBC News on Thursday (local time). Because if Russia were to lose Ukraine’s current counterattack, “it would mean that Russia would lose the war.” Zelenskyy described the current status of the counter-offensive as “generally positive”, but the situation was very difficult.
According to their own statements, the Ukrainian troops have so far liberated seven towns from Russian occupation during their long-awaited counter-offensive. In the Zaporizhia region, the Russians have been pushed back by three to seven kilometers in two sections since last week, sources in Kiev said on Thursday. More than 100 square kilometers of Ukrainian territory were recaptured.
At the same time, Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maljar had emphasized that the enemy was putting up “violent resistance”. Dense minefields, heavy artillery fire and so-called kamikaze drones are hampering the Ukrainian advances. The enemy is not simply giving up its positions, Maljar said.