Need time to break through Russian defense lines, Ukraine says

Kyiv, Jun 23 (EFE).- Ukraine said Friday its armed forces were engaged offensive operations on several frontlines but it would require a balanced approach to break through the Russian defense lines.

“Offensive operations of the Armed Forces of Ukraine continue in a number of areas. Formation operations are underway to set up the battlefield. Time is always important (…) especially in war,” Ukraine’s presidential advisor Mykhailo Podolyak said in a short statement.

He lamented that the time lost in convincing Ukraine’s partners to provide the necessary weapons for starting a counteroffensive in recent months had enabled Russia to fortify its deeply entrenched defense lines, build fortifications and extend minefields in occupied regions.

“Breaking the Russian front today requires a reasonable and balanced approach,” he tweeted. “The life of a soldier is the most important for Ukraine today.”

The presidential advisor elaborated that the Ukrainian military command was now focusing on “military science and intelligence” in the counter-attack against Russian forces.

“Real war is not a Hollywood blockbuster. The counteroffensive is not a new season of a Netflix show,” he insisted.

The Ukrainian military intelligence directorate (GUR) also warned that “active combat operations” by the country’s armed forces would spread to more areas over the next two or three months.

After recapturing a hundred square kilometers of territory and several small towns during the first week of the counteroffensive, the Ukrainian military campaign has slowed down in recent days.

The Ukrainian military said that the counteroffensive was in a reconnaissance phase to identify the weaknesses of the Russian defense before deploying more troops and weapons for capturing more areas.

“Russia is currently considering a large-scale terrorist attack (…) to stop the Ukrainian counteroffensive,” Podolyak claimed. EFE

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