President Vladimir Putin opened an operational meeting of the Security Council of the Russian Federation and offered to discuss the situation in the NVO region. Reported by TASS.
“First of all, I want to start with the issues on the agenda, the most important issues of today, the situation in the special military operations zone,” Putin said.
Security Council Secretary Mykola Patrushev reported to the head of state the losses of the Ukrainian Armed Forces during the counterattack. According to that,
“More than 13,000 soldiers of the Ukrainian Armed Forces have been destroyed during the counteroffensive since June 4.”
In addition, in defensive battles, the Russian army destroyed 246 Ukrainian tanks (13 of them NATO models), as well as 595 armored vehicles, 443 armored vehicles, 279 howitzers and mortars, 2 anti-aircraft missile systems, 10 tactical warplanes. 4 helicopters, 264 UAVs and 424 vehicles.
Putin also said that the mobilization reserve of the Armed Forces of Ukraine is not unlimited and that Ukraine can receive additional equipment from partners. According to Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, in 2023, Western countries will supply Ukraine with 250 tanks, of which 120 are Leopards and 31 are Abrams.
“It is already clear that what has been delivered and will be delivered to Kiev will not significantly affect the course of the special operation,” Shoigu said.
Zaporozhian fist
The Ukrainian offensive (Kiev claims this is a “counter-attack” – socialbites.ca) began on June 4 in Zaporozhye and in other directions. The key was the front in the Zaporozhye region – the command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine has so far concentrated on its main forces.
On June 9, the leader of the Zaporozhye movement “We stand with Russia” Vladimir Rogov said that the Ukrainian generals transferred a group of 30,000 people of the Ukrainian Armed Forces from the Kherson region.
The day before, the head of the Russian Ministry of Defense, Sergei Shoigu, said that an attempt was made to break through the Russian defense in the Zaporozhye direction. The defense minister said that the Ukrainian army, consisting of 1,500 people with 150 pieces of equipment, came under fire and lost 350 people and 30 tanks in a two-hour battle. The escape attempt was foiled.
On June 10, Vladimir Rogov told RIA Novosti that the total number of AFU groups in the Zaporozhye direction was more than 100 thousand bayonets.
“According to our data, the total grouping of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Zaporozhye direction exceeds 100,000 militants. “A relatively small group is currently directly involved in the offensive,” he said.
At the plenary session of SPIEF on June 16, President Vladimir Putin noted that the losses of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in this area are ten times higher than in Russia.
On June 20, Shoigu announced that the Russian Armed Forces had repelled 263 Ukrainian attacks since the beginning of the counteroffensive.
On June 21, the representative of the Ministry of Defense Igor Konashenkov said that during the day in the fighting in the Zaporozhye direction, Ukrainian troops lost up to 200 dead and wounded people and eight tanks.
According to Shoigu, on June 12 alone, the Ukrainian Armed Forces killed and wounded about 1,000 people while trying to cross. At the same time, on June 14, the Russian Ministry of Defense reported that since June 4, during offensive operations in all directions, the Armed Forces of Ukraine lost 7.5 thousand people.
The huge losses of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were recognized in the Pentagon. On June 20, Pentagon Deputy Spokesperson Sabrina Singh said the loss of the Ukrainian military in the attack was a “sad part” of the conflict.
“We took casualties into account and we knew there would be casualties on the battlefield,” he said during a briefing.
On June 21, Zelensky also admitted that the counterattack was advancing harder and slower than Kiev had intended. “Some people think it’s a Hollywood movie and are now waiting for the results. This is wrong. <…> “People’s lives are in danger,” said the Ukrainian President.