Had to bite my tongue at the words it said, but included the comments below the article.
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The upcoming military operation will come at a tremendous cost, and many soldiers will die, the Ukrainian president has warned.
Ukraine is ready to launch its long-awaited offensive, President Vladimir Zelensky told the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) in an interview published on Saturday. He did not reveal the exact date, but said Kiev can no longer “wait for months.”
The operation is likely to inflict heavy losses on the Ukrainian troops, and might not go exactly as planned, Zelensky admitted, adding that Russia retaining air superiority would inevitably mean Kiev's forces will be exposed to enemy fire.
“I don’t know how long it will take,” Zelensky said, commenting on the operation’s potential timeframe. He added that “it can go a variety of ways, completely different.”
The president admitted that the military equipment and weapons supplied to Ukraine by its Western backers are still not enough. “We would like to have certain things, but we can’t wait for months,” he said.
Zelensky also highlighted the need for stronger air defences, and claimed that the US-made Patriot systems are virtually the only ones in the world capable of countering certain Russian missile types. He said Ukraine would need as many as 50 Patriot batteries to ensure sufficient air defenses. The lack of such protection means “a large number of soldiers will die,” during the offensive, he added.
In May, Kiev claimed that its forces had managed to intercept a Russian hypersonic Kinzhal missile, using a Patriot air defense system. Moscow denied the claim, and accused Ukraine of routinely exaggerating the effectiveness of its air defenses.
Ukraine has long been discussing a counteroffensive against Russia to reclaim territories that Kiev considers as its own. It has postponed the operation several times, citing a lack of ammunition, weapons, and even adverse weather conditions. Back in mid-May Zelensky claimed Kiev was ready to launch the offensive, while maintaining it needed more Western weapons.
Ukrainian troops have suffered massive casualties since the start of the conflict, according to various estimates. A Pentagon document leaked earlier this year and cited by The Washington Post said that between 124,000 and 131,000 Ukrainian soldiers had been killed or wounded since the start of the hostilities.
Ukrainian Defense Minister Aleksey Reznikov has rejected this assessment, saying the number of his troops killed in the conflict was less than the death toll from the earthquakes that hit Türkiye and Syria in February. The combined estimated fatalities in the two countries amounted to more than 55,000. Reznikov later apologized for the comparison, deemed insensitive by some people in the affected areas.
In May, Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said the Ukrainian armed forces had sustained over 15,000 battlefield casualties in April alone. And in April, Ukrainian Brigadier General Sergey Melnik, deputy commander of the Ukrainian force grouping stationed in the northeastern Kharkov Region, admitted to Spanish newspaper El Pais that Ukraine had already lost most of its experienced troops to deaths and injuries. “The problem is that we have a lack of people and equipment,” he said at the time, adding that Kiev had to rely on “people without military experience.”
https://www.rt.com/russia/577419-ukraine-ready-launch-counteroffensive-zelensky/
Comments;
aquerett
"a large number of soldiers will die..." and he has plans to sacrifice a large number of soldiers to satisfy his US and EU rulers
MrRabbit
There are unconfirmed reports that Budanov is dead as a result of rocket attack.
Henrique Medeiros
Some of you may die, but it's a sacrifice im willing to make...
Tom_Sansone
Maybe if American media started saying Ukraine is winning more often things would be different soon. Lol
Raa147
RussianWind, lol
Dave777
Zelensky is looking for a permanent place to hide. His insane of Russia has needlessly killed off a lot of Russians and Ukrainians. Zelensky is pure evil.
Raa147
Dave777, He’s a narcissist.
L. Hansson
I looked at the WSJ interview and Zelinsky looked detached from reality. How can NATO let a clown run this war with no military education? A counteroffensive without air support is a suicide mission. No one knows when Ukraina can get the old F-16, with trained pilots, mechanics, and engineers? US "experts" say it will take 18 months to have this in place.
Lyra Jamilla
L. Hansson, So they can claim more victimhood in the eyes of gullible Western people by saying that Russia is "unjustifiably" killing their sacrificial lambs.
Tom_Sansone
Does American media still claim Ukraine is winning?
Zetruth
To do evil a human being must first of all believe that what he's doing is good... Ideology - that is To To do evil a human being must first of all believe that what he's doing is good... Ideology - that is what gives devildoing its long-sought justification and gives the evildoer the necessary steadfastness and determination. That is the social theory which helps to make his acts seem good instead of bad in his own and others' eyes, so that he won't hear reproaches and curses but will receive praise and honors. Z
PeterPiper
At a great cost and many soldiers will die.....you bet your Nazi ass they will ! great leader, send the fools into Russian defenses and superior military hardware. Dos Svedanya Nazi's
Tom_Sansone
The Jew made a deal with the devil. Now, he's surrounded by Nazis that want to kill him.
Raffles
More White Europeans sacrificed at the alter of Zionism. The parasites in the City and on Wall Street will be rubbing their hands with glee.
Spacepussy
Zelensky's survival is unacceptable at this point.
Lyra Jamilla
Just go already so you can lose and run away to whichever NATO country they designate as your hiding place.
Tom_Sansone
ChatGPT is writing the clown's speeches.
44Lara44
Zelensky is under investigation for high treason. I think his war attack on Russia with no navy and no air control is a deviation. Zelensky will run after he loses.
Спасибо деду за победу
Zaluzhny is dead
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Fox.
