MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 17th July, 2023) The Ukrainian army is trying to repel a Russian offensive near the city of Kupyansk in the Kharkiv Region, with heavy fighting ongoing, Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Anna Maliar said on Monday.
"The enemy has been actively advancing since the end of last week in the Kupyansk direction in the Kharkiv Region. Now, the enemy is looking for weaknesses in our defense, actively conducting assault operations ... The situation is complicated. Heavy fighting is going on now," Maliar said on Telegram.
Ukraine's much-touted counteroffensive kicked off in early June after months of delays over a lack of military supplies from Western donors. The Russian Defense Ministry said Ukrainian troops kept trying but were failing to advance. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy himself admitted that progress was "slower than desired."
Since the beginning of Ukraine's counteroffensive, Russia has destroyed 27 Ukrainian aircraft, some 1,244 tanks and other armored vehicles, including 17 Leopard tanks, five French AMX wheeled tanks, dozens of howitzers and other military equipment, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said.
Western media has started to acknowledge the Ukrainian military faced serious problems during their counteroffensive. The New York Times reported that Russian artillery and air force do not let Kiev cover its forces with air defense systems. The newspaper also said that Urkaine's counteroffensive was turned into a slow and bloody slog. The CNN, citing two Western officials and a high-ranking Pentagon official, reported that the Ukrainian troops achieved less visible progress than expected.
