22 July 2023, Saturday, 13:43 423

Counteroffensive going slower, since it began later than planned - Zelenskyy

Editor: Tetiana Herasimova

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The pace of the advance of the Ukrainian Defense Forces during the counteroffensive is slower than expected, since the offensive began later than planned.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy said this during an online speech at the Aspen Security Forum, CNN quoted.

“We did have plans to start it in spring, but we didn't, because frankly, we had not enough munitions and armaments and not enough properly trained brigades — I mean, properly trained in these weapons. Because we started a bit late, it can be said — and it’s the truth, shared by all experts — that it provided Russia was the time to mine all our land and build several lines of defense,” Zelenskyy told the Aspen Security Forum via video on Friday.

Zelenskyy emphasized that due to the greater amount of time the enemy had, it was able to build all the current defense lines.

“And really, they had a lot of mines on our fields. Because of that, a slower pace of our counteroffensive actions,” the President of Ukraine said.

At the same time, Zelenskyy noted that the Defense Forces are approaching a moment when relevant actions can gain momentum.

“We didn't want to lose our people, our personnel and our servicemen, we didn't want to lose equipment and because of that, they were quite careful about the offensive actions. I would say that we are approaching a moment when relevant actions can gain pace because we are already going through some mine locations and we are demining these areas,” Zelenskyy said.

As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, Ukrainian defenders in the south daily advance several hundred meters, displacing Russian invaders.

Besides, the spokesman for the Eastern group of troops of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Serhii Cherevatyi said that on the Bakhmut axis, the Defense Forces daily have advance of hundreds of meters. According to him, the Ukrainian military acts prudently and uses the maneuver of covering the enemy.

Meanwhile, according to Deputy Minister of Defense of Ukraine Hanna Maliar, the culmination near Melitopol and Berdiansk will come when the Russians are exhausted, which will form certain places for a successful offensive.