Ukraine will prepare new counteroffensive, new operation - Zelenskyy
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy (Getty Images)
Ukraine is gearing up for a fresh counteroffensive and frontline operations, emphasizing that defense is currently the top priority, according to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in an interview with Fox News.
The head of state highlighted that defense presents a significant task and challenge in a war with a formidable country like Russia.
Commenting on the 2023 counteroffensive and expectations for its effectiveness, Zelenskyy stressed the paramount importance of prioritizing the lives of soldiers, as any loss would equate to a loss for Ukraine in its entirety.
"To defend is task number one. Then to continue our successful story on the Black Sea , and we will do it. I will not now go deeply into details, but they will get some surprises. I mean, Russians - that’s very important. So, the south is very important. To defend the east, where they have more than 200,000 soldiers, also very important to defend. And, of course, we will prepare a new counteroffensive, a new operation. Of course, I'm not speaking [to say] that we will just stay still. It depends on a lot of things," said the president.
When asked whether the counteroffensive would have been more successful had Ukraine received weapons in a timely manner, Zelenskyy urged to refrain from dwelling on the past and focus on the present. He added that Ukraine needs systems for Patriot air defense, long-range weaponry, etc..
According to the head of state, the current situation on the frontline is unfair, with forces not being equal.
Frontline situation
During the summer, Ukrainian forces carried out a counteroffensive in the east and south of Ukraine, successfully liberating over a dozen settlements in the Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions.
However, currently, Russian occupiers have intensified assaults on the frontline. Specifically, invaders seized Avdiivka after months of fierce battles and escalated attacks in the Kupiansk area.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that the capture of Avdiivka is Russia's biggest achievement in the 9 months of the war.
The head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense, Kyrylo Budanov, believes that Russia lacks the strength to capture the Luhansk and Donetsk regions.
