The statement was made by President Vladimir Putin during a speech at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum on June 16. RT quoted Putin as saying that Ukraine had lost more than 600 armored vehicles, including 186 tanks, in the counterattack. The leader said that Russia's loss ratio was only one-tenth of Ukraine's.
He said that Ukraine had to deploy its strategic reserve but had not achieved any goals. The rapid loss of weapons meant that Ukraine's arsenal would soon be depleted and the country would become dependent on foreign supplies.
Quick view: Russian campaign day 477, counterattacking Ukraine in the face of great challenges, what did the US general say?
"Western tanks are burning. Many tanks are destroyed, including Leopards. F-16s will also burn, that's for sure. But if they are outside Ukraine and used in the conflict, we will have to determine how and where to attack these weapons. There is a serious threat that NATO will be drawn deeper into this armed conflict," Putin said.
President Vladimir Putin speaks in St. Petersburg on June 16.
"I think that the Ukrainian armed forces have no chance here (in Zaporizhzhia province) as well as in other directions. I have no doubt about that. In some places, their units are advancing to the first line of defense, but in others they are failing," the Russian leader said.
On the same day, the Russian Defense Ministry said it had repelled 10 Ukrainian attacks in two frontline areas within just 24 hours and Kyiv lost 400 soldiers.
Western tanks and armored vehicles destroyed by Russia in Donetsk
Nuclear weapons, defense budget
In his speech on June 16, President Putin said the Russian military could have destroyed central areas of Kyiv but chose not to do so for various reasons. He did not specify the reasons.
On the other hand, he revealed that Russia's tactical nuclear weapons have been delivered to Belarus. "This is only the first part. But by the end of the summer, by the end of the year, we will complete this," Mr. Putin said.
Why does the President of Belarus want Russia to deploy nuclear weapons in his country?
The Kremlin chief stressed that nuclear weapons would only be used in cases where Russia's survival was threatened. At present, their use is not necessary.
President Putin also cited many figures and announced that the Russian economy is still stable. He forecast that Russia's GDP will grow by 1.5 - 2% this year, with record low unemployment and low inflation compared to last year.
"Today, our public finances are generally balanced, there is only a small federal budget deficit. Of course, more money is needed to strengthen defense and security, to buy weapons, we are obliged to do this to protect the country's sovereignty ," the leader said.
On the same day, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said there were no signs that Russia was preparing to use nuclear weapons and Washington saw no reason to adjust the state of its nuclear forces.
Kyiv attacked amid African delegation visit
Ukraine accused Russia of carrying out a major airstrike on June 16 targeting Kyiv province, injuring at least six people. Several homes were destroyed and about 13 needed major repairs. Ukraine said it shot down 12 Russian missiles, including six Kinzhal hypersonic missiles. Russia did not immediately comment on the accusation.
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The attack came as African leaders visited Kyiv to seek a solution to the conflict.
After meeting with African leaders, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that peace talks with Russia can only happen after Moscow withdraws all its forces from Ukraine, according to Reuters. The African delegation will travel to St. Petersburg (Russia) to meet President Putin on June 17.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky holds a press conference with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa in Kyiv. Below are images of damage from the June 16 attack in Kyiv province and explosions in the sky over the Ukrainian capital.
Ukraine meets fierce resistance
The Ukrainian military said on June 16 that fierce fighting was taking place on the southern front, with Ukrainian missile and artillery units carrying out nearly 1,500 missions in just the past 24 hours, according to CNN.
General Oleksandr Tarnavskyi, a commander of the southern region of the Ukrainian army, said Russia had suffered heavy losses but was still putting up strong resistance, sometimes bringing up reserves from the second line of defense.
Ukrainian military spokesman Valerii Shershen said Ukrainian units were consolidating their advances around the cities of Melitopol, Berdiansk and Mariupol, their three main targets in the southern offensive. However, he estimated that Ukraine had advanced less than 1 km.
Pentagon chief says Ukraine situation is 'marathon'
Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar also said that the strongest fighting area is no longer Bakhmut but has shifted to the south, especially in the direction of Berdiansk and Mariupol.
"The enemy has built technical fortifications, complicating our advance and every meter of land is very difficult to gain," Mr. Shershen said.
Ukrainian servicemen repair captured Russian BMP-2 infantry fighting vehicle in Donetsk
In the east, Mr Shershen said Ukrainian units were defending the frontline town of Avdiivka in the Donetsk region, which Russian forces have been trying to surround for months.
The Ukrainian military said Kyiv forces had made limited gains elsewhere in the Donetsk region and had not lost any ground. Ukrainian officials also said the military had made some progress around the town of Vuhledar and the city of Bakhmut.
On the same day, General Oleksandr Syrskyi, commander of the Ukrainian Ground Forces, expressed optimism about Ukraine’s progress around Bakhmut. He said that regular Russian forces, which have replaced the Wagner private military group in the city, have not been able to generate the same level of fighting. However, he acknowledged that the situation in the east is tense and that Russia is sending its best divisions to Bakhmut, supported by artillery and aircraft.
Ukraine to receive 14 more Leopard 2 tanks?
Germany sends missiles to Ukraine, Canada sends tanks to Russia
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius announced on June 16 that his country would immediately send Ukraine 64 surface-to-air missiles for the Patriot air defense system, according to CNN. Mr. Pistorius said this was a very important decision to support Ukraine in ensuring airspace safety, especially during this special phase of the conflict.
Also on June 16, Canadian Defense Minister Anita Anand announced that she would reinforce NATO forces in Latvia by deploying 15 Leopard 2A4M tanks. This force will be deployed before the fall. There are currently 800 Canadian soldiers in Latvia, a NATO country bordering Russia.
On the other hand, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced on June 16 that he would provide $205 million in humanitarian aid to Ukraine to address shortages of food, water and other needs. According to AFP, the aid will be distributed through non-governmental organizations in the region.
The key challenge for Ukraine's counterattack
NATO fails to adopt common defense plan
At a meeting on June 16, NATO defense ministers failed to reach an agreement on new plans regarding how the alliance would respond to a Russian attack.
This is the first time the plan has been considered since the end of the Cold War. Reuters quoted a diplomat as saying that Türkiye had blocked the plan's adoption because of the wording of geographical locations, including Cyprus. The diplomat added that there was still a chance to find a solution before the NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, in mid-July.
Türkiye's diplomatic mission to NATO said it would be wrong to comment on a confidential NATO document, adding that "the usual process of consultation and assessment between allies continues".
The development of a response plan reflects a fundamental shift within NATO. For decades, NATO has seen no need for large-scale defense plans as the alliance has fought smaller conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq and has felt that post-Soviet Russia no longer poses an existential threat.
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However, with the conflict in Ukraine erupting, NATO now warns that it must have plans in place to prevent a conflict with a peer opponent like Russia.
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