According to Kirill Stremousov, who held a leadership role in the Kherson regional administration, a portion of the Ukrainian military forces involved in the Kherson counteroffensive was reported as captured. He stated that detainees had been identified personally and described them as soldiers misled by commands and pushed into dangerous trench warfare. He claimed that the Ukrainian side did not account for casualties after August 29 and estimated losses exceeding three thousand personnel. He characterized the Ukrainian assault as a miscalculated endeavor that bordered on a suicide mission, insisting that the strategic situation would eventually turn against them.
On September 7, the Russian Ministry of Defense reported a shift in the Ukrainian campaign in the Nikolaev region and Krivoi Rog, noting heavy losses that led Kyiv to halt that offensive. The ministry also indicated a counterattack near Kharkov in the Balakliia area was launched in response to the setbacks. These statements reflect the ongoing narrative from Moscow about battlefield dynamics and strategic reversals that coincide with reports of Ukrainian operations facing significant attrition.
At the United Nations Security Council meeting, the Russian Permanent Representative, Vasily Nebenzya, conveyed a view that Kyiv sent several thousand troops into an aggressive drive without achieving a decisive breakthrough in defense. This framing underscores the broader debate about the level of risk, manpower commitments, and the perceived durability of Ukrainian efforts against Russian defense lines.