Volodymyr Zelensky: Russian minefields make it difficult for Ukrainian troops to advance. © Andreea Alexandru/AP/dpa
About two weeks ago, Ukraine launched its long-awaited counteroffensive. However, the advance is "slower than desired," says the Ukrainian president.
Kyiv - In view of the ongoing counteroffensive, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has once again dampened expectations for a quick liberation of all occupied territories. "Some people think this is a Hollywood movie and now expect results. But it's not like that," Zelensky told the BBC. "What is at stake are human lives."
Overall, the advance is "slower than desired," said the Ukrainian head of state, obviously also with a view to the expectations of others. This was not clear from the BBC report - from the interview with Zelensky, the channel published only excerpts. "Whatever some want, including attempts to pressure us — with all due respect, we will proceed on the battlefield as we see fit."
Zelenskyy added that large Russian minefields made it difficult for Ukrainian troops to advance. A total of 200,000 square kilometers had been mined by the Russians.
Meanwhile, the Ukrainian military reported that its own soldiers were entrenched in the south on newly reached positions. General staff spokesman Andriy Kovalyov spoke of partial successes in some sections - without, however, giving details. In eastern Ukraine, on the other hand, Ukrainian troops are largely on the defensive. Heavy fighting is taking place between Yamapolivka and Shylylivka on the border between Luhansk and Donetsk regions.
Ukraine has been defending itself against Russia's war of aggression for almost 16 months. Including the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea, which was annexed in 2014, Russian troops currently occupy around 20 percent of Ukrainian territory. About two weeks ago, the Ukrainian army launched its long-awaited counteroffensive to liberate occupied territories - also with the help of Western weapons. Dpa