'Not a bargaining chip': Zelenskyy says Russia will fail in eastern Ukraine
Photo: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said at the Yalta European Strategy Conference (YES) that Russian forces cannot take eastern Ukraine. He added that the territory cannot be used as a "bargaining chip" with the enemy.
According to Zelenskyy, Russians have had no success on the battlefield. He stated that the pressure originates from drones, training exercises in Belarus, and other factors.
Zelenskyy expects Russian forces to attempt a few more offensive actions.
"If our partners continue their support, I am confident in our Armed Forces. I believe our closest strategic partners will soon understand that Russia has no chance of success or the ability to occupy the east. That means it cannot be any kind of bargaining chip," Zelenskyy said.
Frontline situation
Over the past 24 hours, there were 183 combat clashes along the front. Most attacks were recorded in the Pokrovsk, Lyman, and Novopavlivka directions. Russian forces try daily to break through Ukrainian defenses.
During the summer, Russian forces intensified combat operations in the Sumy direction and the Dnipropetrovsk region, where they are attempting to establish a foothold.
Earlier, Zelenskyy reported that the Ukrainian Armed Forces completely foiled a Russian offensive toward Sumy.
"There are results in the Sumy region: as of today, we can state that the Russian offensive operation on Sumy has been completely thwarted by our forces," he said.
For more details about Russia's autumn offensive and potential targets, read RBC-Ukraine's article.
