Kiev is still "far from a turning point in the war", although Russian troops significantly slowed their advance on the front in Ukraine in the first half of this year, Ukrainian army commander Oleksandr Syrsky said today, quoted by Agence France-Presse.
In a summary published today on Telegram, the general pointed out that Russia had failed to achieve the goals of its offensive, despite having "almost twice as many personnel and equipment".
He said that Russian forces, which had undertaken "active offensive operations in 13 sectors of the front", are now continuing to conduct them in at most "six or seven" and are suffering heavy losses, while Kiev is pursuing a strategy of attrition.
"In terms of the pace of the offensive, the two sides have practically reached an equilibrium. The steady trend of increasing the ratio between the territory liberated by Ukrainian forces and the areas where the enemy manages to advance continues," the general said, quoted by the Ukrinform news agency.
Syrsky also praised Ukrainian strikes with long-range weapons, which have hit 697 targets in Russia since the beginning of the year, causing direct and indirect economic damage of more than $6.1 billion (about 5.3 billion euros), he said.
Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil infrastructure in recent months have led to fuel shortages in many Russian regions and in Crimea – the peninsula, annexed in 2014, AFP notes.
However, the commander-in-chief warned that Moscow continues to pursue its military goals in the eastern regions of Ukraine.
"The intensity of missile strikes and drone strikes is constantly increasing, as is the use of guided aerial bombs", he added, noting that "the enemy should not be underestimated".
"There is still a long way to go before the turning point in the war. The aggressor has not abandoned its plans for the complete occupation of Luhansk and Donetsk regions, seeks to expand its offensive operations in Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhia regions, and aims to create and expand a buffer zone in the northern regions of Ukraine. "That is why the Armed Forces of Ukraine are consistently strengthening their capabilities to give the enemy a befitting rebuff and ultimately force the Kremlin to accept a just peace on our terms," said Syrsky.