Vladimir Putin has admitted that Ukrainian attacks have intensified in recent days, as Kyiv ramps up the counteroffensive against Russian troops.
Speaking in St Petersburg at a summit of African leaders, the Russian president admitted that attacks by Ukrainian forces have “intensified significantly”, primarily in the Zaporizhzhia region.
He claimed Ukraine had not enjoyed success on the front lines, despite experts at the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reporting that Volodymyr Zelensky’s troops “appear to have broken through certain pre-prepared Russian defensive positions” in Zaporizhzhia.
Battles in recent weeks have taken place on multiple points along the 1,500-kilometer front line as Ukraine wages its counteroffensive.
The ISW on Thursday said that Ukraine had launched a “significant mechanised counteroffensive operation in western Zaporizhzhia”, while a Western official said that Mr Zelensky has committed thousands of troops to the region in recent days.
Ukrainian officials have been mostly silent about battlefield developments since they began early counteroffensive operations, though deputy defence minister Hanna Maliar said troops are advancing toward the city of Melitopol in the region.
