Mr. Zelensky: The counter-offensive campaign cannot have immediate results

The Ukrainian president said the counteroffensive was going slower than some expected, stressing that the effort needed time to achieve significant results.

"Some people think this is a Hollywood movie and expect immediate results. But it is not like that," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on June 21, referring to the country's ongoing counter-offensive.

Ukraine has declared a counteroffensive against Russian forces and said it has recaptured eight villages in the south in the past two weeks. These are not large areas, but they represent the biggest advance by the Ukrainian army since November 2022, when it tried to retake areas controlled by Russia.

The Ukrainian president said the counterattack by these forces would not be easy because Russia had laid mines over 200,000 square kilometers of territory it controlled.

"No matter how much some people want, even put pressure on us, we will attack in the way we think is best," Mr. Zelensky affirmed.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kiev on June 16. Photo: AFP — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kiev on June 16. Photo: *AFP*

Before the Ukrainian army counterattacked, Russian forces had months to prepare their defenses. The Ukrainian army had yet to reach the most heavily fortified Russian positions, which were 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) from the front line.

Ukraine has been claiming since early June that it is advancing without losing any defensive positions. It has also declared its counter-offensive to be “partially successful” and is focusing on the southern front while resisting a major Russian offensive in the east.

However, Russia said that after more than two weeks of counter-attack, Ukraine had lost thousands of soldiers and many main weapons. Russian President Putin said last week that Kiev had lost 30% of its heavy weapons supplied by the West after many days of fighting.