Zelensky says the counterattack is “very difficult” for Ukrainian forces

(Sputnik) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Wednesday that the Ukrainian counterattack is facing great difficulties because of the “thousands of mines” laid by the Russian armed forces. “We can see in which directions we are advancing, but it is very difficult for us, there are thousands of mines… But the most important thing is the direction that the army tells me, which I receive daily. We are advancing,” Zelensky said in a statement during a joint press conference with the prime minister. Finn Petri Orbo in Kiev: “Little by little.”

Later in the day, the Ukrainian president said that the country’s military leadership plans to deploy more personnel. Zelensky said during a televised press conference: “I will tell you frankly that the military leadership asked me to give the opportunity to mobilize more people. I cannot tell you more than that.”

He added that the Ukrainian armed forces will try to launch a counterattack. “In terms of counterattacking, let’s wait for the results. I believe in our strength. The whole world wants us to do that.” [isso aconteça] faster. The Ukrainian president said: “We are working as quickly as possible.”

Commenting on the recent news that U.S. and Western officials are trying to persuade Ukrainian military forces to move forces from the east to the south, Zelensky said that it is a bad idea because Kiev could lose more territory this way.

“As for dispersing our forces [ao longo da linha de frente] … Suggestion [foi]Let’s take our troops and move them somewhere. And what happens next is this: In a few days, [a Rússia tomará] Sloviansk, Kramatorsk, then Pavlohrad, Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv. We will not give up Kharkiv or Donbass.”

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Ukraine launched a counterattack against Russian forces in early June, after several delays. Citing the need for a counterattack, Kiev urged Western donors to increase military and financial aid. According to the estimates of the Russian Defense Ministry, as of August 4, Ukraine’s losses in the counterattack amounted to about 43,000 soldiers and 4,900 units of military equipment.