Putin claims that the Russian armed forces have lost 54 tanks to about 160 Ukrainians
Russian President Vladimir Putin has publicly acknowledged that his offensive on Ukraine is experiencing difficulties. “The objectives of the special operation are changing due to the current situation, but in general we are not going to change anything. They are essential for us”, the president stated in a meeting with pro-Russian bloggers and war correspondents where he addressed the Ukrainian attack on his armed forces.
“This is a full-scale counteroffensive with reserves prepared for that purpose. It began on June 4 and is continuing at this time”, Putin pointed out during the event, where he staged the reading of a supposed war report announcing another -according to the Kremlin- failed Ukrainian attack.
“The enemy did not succeed in any of the sectors, they have heavy losses,” Putin said. The president stated that his armed forces have lost 54 tanks compared to some 160 Ukrainians, while his casualty rate is 10% compared to Kiev, figures that have not been verified. “The losses are equivalent to 25% or 30% of the vehicles they have received from abroad,” Putin added.
The Russian leader has also denied that the Kremlin was involved in the early stages of the 2014 Donbas war despite evidence published at the time, such as links to paramilitaries who set fire to the region with the help of Russian intelligence. The conquest of Crimea with unidentified uniformed officers was also linked to Moscow, as well as the presence of the then unknown Wagner mercenary company in Donetsk, recently recognized by its owner, Yevgueni Prigozhin. “The Russian state had nothing to do with this at all, I assure you. Nothing, I say this frankly, directly and honestly,” Putin said.
The Russian head of state has opened the door to creating “a sanitary cordon” on Ukrainian territory to prevent attacks such as those suffered by the Belgorod region. “Of course, the ability to bomb our territory from Ukraine remains. There are several solutions here: first, increase the effectiveness of the counter-battery, but this does not mean that they will not fall -shells- on our territory. If this continues, the question will have to be addressed, I say this very carefully, of creating some kind of cordon sanitaire in Ukraine with such a distance that it is impossible to reach our territory,” the Russian president pointed out.
Putin has denied that the Kremlin is behind the destruction of the Nova Kakhovska dam in Kherson last week, although he has admitted that this ecological catastrophe also poses a biological threat. “We must seriously address health security because there are cattle dens under water, there are cemeteries under water. This is a serious problem, but one that can be solved,” Putin pointed out.
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