Putin reveals Ukrainian counteroffensive losses
Ukraine has already lost more than 600 armored vehicles, including 186 tanks, during its counteroffensive effort against Russian troops, President Vladimir Putin told the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) on Friday.
“Their losses are very heavy – about more than one in ten compared to the Russian army. That is a fact. In terms of hardware, every day there is an increase in the loss of this materiel. To date, 186 tanks have been lost by the Ukrainian army and 418 armored vehicles,” Putin claimed, referring to the ongoing operation by Ukrainian forces.
According to the Russian president, Kiev has been deploying its strategic reserves for the counteroffensive effort, but has thus failed to achieve any of its goals. The rapid depletion of Ukraine’s own war stocks means it will have to rely solely on foreign deliveries, Putin suggested.
“You won’t be able to wage war like that for long. Our defense industry, however, is growing day by day,” he added.
Ukraine launched a large-scale counteroffensive on June 4, after Kiev and its Western backers had talked up the campaign for months. Moscow claims the operation has resulted in heavy losses for Ukrainian troops and has yielded only minor tactical gains. Kiev has remained largely tight-lipped, with Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky admitting only that Russian troops were putting up “very tough resistance.”
