Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Ukraine successfully thwarted a major offensive operation planned by Russia for the end of last year.
Zelensky made this statement in an interview with CNN.
According to the Ukrainian leader, Russia planned to launch a prepared offensive operation at the end of last year and continue it this spring.
"They prepared this operation. These were our counter-offensive steps, parallel steps. We wanted to do it in order not to give Russia the opportunity to attack us en masse on the battlefield," Zelensky said.
He explained that the Ukrainian army launched its counteroffensive in late 2025 and regained control over 434 square kilometers of territory.
"It's not just about our steps on the battlefield. It's also about drones, about our drone operations projects," Zelensky said.
As a result of Ukraine's use of unmanned systems, including FPV and other drones, Russia is losing 30,000-35,000 soldiers a month on the battlefield, Zelensky added.
"It's not about deep strikes. It's all about our forces, our army. So we prepared for offensive operations, disrupted their operation and destroyed so many Russian soldiers," Zelensky said.
Zelensky also stated that Russian forces are currently unable to advance with heavy equipment, instead they are trying to infiltrate with small groups until Russia shows real intention to end the war.