(Reuters) – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy cautioned on Tuesday against anticipating swift success in Ukraine’s efforts to reclaim occupied territories, as the military announced that Russian forces were preparing for fresh attacks in various areas of the front.
In recent months, there has been little progress along the 1,000-km (600-mile) front line. Despite capturing several villages in the east and south, a Ukrainian counteroffensive launched in June has achieved limited success.
Rejecting criticism that the counteroffensive was progressing too slowly, Zelenskiy stated that the war was not a Hollywood movie set and should not be expected to follow a swift victory narrative.
While acknowledging the Ukrainian offensive maneuvers that have constrained Russia’s Black Sea Fleet, Zelenskiy emphasized that quick success stories in repelling Russia’s invasion should not be anticipated. He stated in his nightly video address, “The modern world is set up in such a way that it becomes accustomed to success too quickly. When the full-scale aggression began, many in the world did not think Ukraine would endure.”
Zelenskiy affirmed the need for Ukrainian resilience and defense of their state and independence, acknowledging the extraordinary efforts of the Ukrainian people and soldiers that are often taken for granted.
In a meeting with senior commanders, Zelenskiy reviewed the sectors that have witnessed the most intense fighting, including Avdiivka and Kupiansk, where Russia has recently been on the offensive.
The head of the military administration in Avdiivka, Vitaliy Barabash, stated that the city is preparing for a new wave of attacks. He reported that the enemy is reinforcing its forces and equipment, while Ukrainian soldiers are readying themselves. The city has been subjected to numerous shelling incidents, and the enemy shows no regard for their own losses.
Avdiivka, with its coking plant, was briefly captured in 2014 but has since been fortified by Ukrainian forces. Volodymyr Fityo, spokesperson for Ukraine’s ground forces, confirmed Russian focus on Kupiansk. The town was initially overrun by Russia during the early days of the invasion but recaptured by Ukrainian forces last year.
Fityo highlighted ongoing efforts by the Ukrainian defense forces to repel enemy attacks in the Kupiansk sector, citing eight Russian air strikes in the village of Synkivka. Russian reports claimed successful attacks near the town of Bakhmut, which had been devastated and captured by Russian forces in May.
Both sides’ accounts of the fighting could not be independently verified by Reuters.
(Reporting by Ron Popeski and Maria Starkova; Editing by Stephen Coates)
