In the month of July alone, Ukraine lost 20,824 soldiers and 2,227 pieces of military equipment during battles, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Monday before a meeting with the defense ministry's leadership.

"Over the past month, as a result of the successful activities of our troops, the losses of the enemy amounted to more than 20,800 servicemen, to be exact, 20,824 people, and 2,227 pieces of various weapons," Shoigu said, adding that Kiev sustained the loss of an additional10 Leopard tanks.  

The official further said that from July 26-27, Ukraine lost 400 soldiers and 63 pieces of equipment in the Orikhove direction, adding that Kiev's forces failed to break through Russian defense lines. 

Bradley hunt continues... pic.twitter.com/uUQnRRjWsh

— 🇷🇺General Surovikin 🖤💛🤍 (@_Surovikin_) July 31, 2023

"Only in two days, July 26-27, in the area of the village of Robotyne, more than 400 Ukrainian military personnel, 31 tanks, including three German Leopards, two French [tanks], and 32 armored combat vehicles were destroyed. A total of 63 armored vehicles [were destroyed]," the minister said.

Certified Rabotino moment. pic.twitter.com/x8CNscz9A4

— 🇷🇺General Surovikin 🖤💛🤍 (@_Surovikin_) July 30, 2023

Kiev initiates terror attacks against Russian civilians due to failed counteroffensive

The military official further pointed out that as a result of the failed counteroffensive, Kiev has been resorting to strategies of terror operations on civilian infrastructure in Russia. 

"Amid an unsuccessful so-called counteroffensive, the Kiev regime, with the support of Western sponsors, has focused on carrying out terrorist attacks on civilian infrastructure in cities and towns of the Russian Federation," Shoigu said before military officials, adding that Russia has recently increased the intensity of its strikes on Ukraine's military facilities -- as well as those responsible for conducting terror attacks on Russia. 

On another note, the official announced that Russian forces have successfully captured two settlements in the Krasnyi Lyman direction, namely Serhiivka and Kovalivka, as well as Molchanovka railway station in the Kupyansk direction.

"Using maneuver and counterattacks, Russian formations and military units liberated the settlements of Kovalivka and Serhiivka in the Krasnyi Lyman direction, as well as the Molchanovka railway station in the Kupyansk direction from the Nazis," he said. 

In terms of combat strategies, Shoigu said that the Russian armed forces are currently focusing on ways to weaken the combat capabilities of Ukraine, noting that Russian forces are assuming an active role and position in all directions in the zone of the special military operation. 

"The joint group of forces is continuing to conduct active operations in all directions, focusing on weakening combat capabilities of the enemy," the minister noted. 

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Earlier today, American political scientist John Mearsheimer said in an interview transcribed by The Grayzone: “It seems to me that anybody who knows anything about military tactics and strategy had to understand that there was hardly any chance that the Ukrainian counteroffensive would succeed."

Mearsheimer expressed his surprise at the West's encouragement for the Ukrainians' counteroffensive, which he compared to a suicide attack that would lead to counterproductive results.

It made more sense for the Ukrainians to remain on the defensive at least for the time being, he added. Inferring the West's line of reasoning, Mearsheimer argued that the West is very afraid of running out of time, so if the Ukrainians do not achieve some remarkable gains on the battlefield in 2023, popular support for the war will dry up which would then devolve into ascertained defeat. He added that the West pressed hard for this attack, knowing that the chances for its success were at best slim. 

Furthermore, Mearsheimer predicted that the war would stretch out for a long time. Even if a peace agreement was reached soon, he reckons that it would be shortlived. 

Mearsheimer stressed that he finds it difficult to imagine the United States, or any Western European country, agreeing to include Ukraine in NATO since bringing Ukraine into NATO in the midst of a war obliges NATO to defend Ukraine by military force, which the West does not want.

The long-anticipated Ukrainian counteroffensive was launched on June 4, on wide axes south of Donetsk, Zaporozhye, and Artyomovsk, with the main attack of the Ukrainian Armed Forces focused on the Zaporozhye sector south towards Crimea.

Read more: Putin says Ukrainian counteroffensive failed, Ukraine lost 26k troops