Russian President Vladimir Putin, who presided over a televised government meeting, said Moscow had seen a “lull” in the Ukrainian counteroffensive, while Kyiv had suffered heavy losses during attacks from the south, Sky News reported.

Putin stated that as a result, Ukraine may lose its combat capability.

He added that although Ukraine retains its offensive potential, Kyiv already understands that it has “no chance” in a counteroffensive.

The comments of the Russian leader somewhat contradict the comments of Ukrainian officials who reported small successes in the Zaporizhzhia and Donetsk regions.

However, Deputy Defense Minister of Ukraine Hanna Malyar said that it was “difficult” to advance against the Russian defense.

“You shouldn’t” measure success “exclusively by population centers and kilometers traveled, because there are much more criteria for the effectiveness of combat operations,” she said.

She warned that the “biggest blow” of the Ukrainian counteroffensive is yet to come.

Russia is “continuing to advance” in eastern Ukraine to consolidate Donetsk and Luhansk regions, while Ukraine is “advancing in several directions from the south,” Malyar said.

“So now it’s hot both in the east and in the south,” she said.

She clarified that Kyiv’s troops continue offensive actions against the city of Melitopol, a Russian fortress located in the depths of the occupied territory, and Berdyansk, a port on the Sea of ​​Azov. Kyiv has been preparing for months for the counteroffensive, seen as a key moment in the war with Russia, but has imposed an information blackout and independent reports are rare.

Ukraine reported the recapture of eight villages in the south over the past two weeks. Although small, these territorial advances are the most significant recorded by the Ukrainian military since November, when they advanced into heavily fortified and mined areas held by the Russians.

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