Ukraine’s military said it was consolidating positions in southeastern areas retaken during the early stages of a counteroffensive, as President Volodymyr Zelenskiy acknowledged that his troops were making “slower than desired” progress against Russia’s invasion force.
Moscow said it thwarted a Ukrainian drone attack on the city on Wednesday and Russian president Vladimir Putin pledged to strengthen all facets of his country’s military, including its nuclear missiles and its ability to fire them from land, sea and air.
“The defence forces of Ukraine continue to conduct offensive actions in the Melitopol and Berdyansk directions,” said Kyiv’s deputy defence minister Hanna Maliar, referring to key Russian-occupied cities in southeastern Ukraine.
“During the past day, they had partial success, consolidating at the boundaries they have reached and levelling up the front line. In the east, our defenders continue to hold back a large-scale offensive by Russian troops,” she added.
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“The east remains the main area of the enemy’s offensive. Its goal is to reach the borders of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Near Bakhmut, the situation is unchanged, several combat clashes take place every day, the line is stable.”
Ukraine said it has liberated eight villages across more than 100 sq km of territory since launching its counteroffensive this month, and has retaken areas on the flanks around Bakhmut following Russia’s occupation of the ruined city in Donetsk region in May.
“Some people believe this is a Hollywood movie and expect results now. It’s not. What’s at stake is people’s lives,” Mr Zelenskiy said in a BBC interview aired on Wednesday, in which he admitted that progress early in the counteroffensive was “slower than desired.”
“Whatever some might want, including attempts to pressure us, with all due respect, we will advance on the battlefield the way we deem best,” he added, noting that Russian troops had mined some 200 sq km of Ukrainian land.
Ukraine faces difficulties gaining ground without air support from the Western-made fighter jets that it has long sought, but has been unable to secure, from allies. Nato countries now say they are willing to train Ukrainian pilots on US-made F-16s and ultimately supply them to Kyiv, but the timeline for delivery is still unclear.
Analysts say the main battles of the counteroffensive lie ahead, because Ukraine’s military is yet to deploy most of its newly formed and equipped reserves, and its troops have not reached the fortified lines that Russia has been building for months in occupied territory.
“Oddly enough, at the moment we are seeing a certain lull. This is due to the fact that the enemy is suffering serious losses, both in personnel and equipment,” Mr Putin said.
“Today we see that the attack potential (of Ukraine’s forces) has not yet been exhausted, there are reserves that the enemy is thinking about where and how to deploy,” he added. “Thanks to the courage and heroism of our fighters…it seems to me that (Ukrainian troops) have no chance of getting through. They understand that.”
Using the Kremlin’s official term for its invasion of Ukraine, Mr Putin told graduates from Russian military academies that “in light of new challenges and invaluable experience from the ‘special military operation’ we will continue to improve the armed forces in every possible way.”
He said Russia must strengthen its arsenal of drones and maintain the so-called nuclear triad of air-, sea- and land-launched nuclear missiles that “effectively and reliably ensure strategic deterrence and support the global balance of powers.”
The Kremlin said three drones launched by Ukraine were brought down by electronic jamming outside Moscow and they caused no damage.
