Putin downplays Ukraine’s counteroffensive, calls it ‘not successful’
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Ukrainian soldiers preparing to fire a mortar at their positions at a front line on July 13.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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MOSCOW – Russian President Vladimir Putin said Kyiv’s counteroffensive, launched in June to push back Moscow’s forces, was failing.
Ukraine began its highly anticipated fightback after stockpiling Western weapons and building up its offensive forces.
“All enemy attempts to break through our defences... they have not succeeded since the offensive began. The enemy is not successful,” Mr Putin said in a televised interview broadcast on Sunday.
Ukraine on Friday conceded difficult battles.
“Today, it’s advancing not so quickly,” the head of Ukraine’s presidential office, Mr Andriy Yermak, told reporters.
Kyiv said on Friday its troops had advanced nearly 2km along the southern front over the past week.
Mr Mykola Urshalovych, a senior representative of the National Guard, told reporters that troops moved towards the occupied southern city of Melitopol during the ongoing offensive.
On Sunday, the army said it was pursuing offensive operations towards Melitopol and Berdyansk.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said last week the slow delivery of promised arms was delaying Kyiv’s counteroffensive, and called on the United States and other allies to provide long-range weapons and artillery. AFP
