Ukraine situation 'not getting better', US envoy says
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The situation is not getting any better in Ukraine, the US envoy to the United Nations says as Russia continues to inflict major damages on Ukraine's forces.
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A soldier of Ukraine's 3rd Separate Assault Brigade gives first aid to a wounded soldier near Bakhmut, the site of fierce battles with the Russian forces in Donetsk, Sept. 4, 2023 (AP)
US Ambassador and Alternative Representative for Special Political Affairs to the United Nations, Robert Wood, underscored the dire situation in Ukraine, emphasizing that it was not improving and calling for sustained pressure on Russia to withdraw its troops from the region.
Wood's comments came as Ukraine grapples with significant losses, particularly during its counteroffensive in the past three months.
Thousands of soldiers have been killed, along with the destruction of hundreds of units of military equipment, as reported.
The past 24 hours witnessed further casualties among the Ukrainian military, with more than 320 soldiers reported killed or wounded in the Donetsk area, according to the Russian Defense Ministry.
Amid this ongoing crisis, US President Joe Biden is set to depart for India on Thursday evening, where he will participate in the G20 Summit and engage in discussions concerning the Ukraine war.
In the month of July alone, Ukraine lost 20,824 soldiers and 2,227 pieces of military equipment during battles, Shoigu said before a meeting with the defense ministry's leadership.
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.
The military official further pointed out that as a result of the failed counteroffensive, the Kiev regime has been resorting to strategies of terror operations on civilian infrastructure in 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.
Ukraine loses over 66,000 military, 7,600 weapons since counteroffensive started
Since the start of the counteroffensive, the Ukrainian army has lost around 66,000 military personnel and 7,600 weapons, Shoigu said.
"Since the beginning of the so-called offensive, enemy losses have exceeded 66,000 people and 7,600 weapons," he said.
Over the previous month, Russian air defense systems had also destroyed 13 cruise missiles, over 1,000 unmanned aerial vehicles, and 159 HIMARS rockets, he added.
"The Russian armed forces continue to destroy the military infrastructure of Ukraine with precision strikes. Over the past month alone, 34 command posts of the Ukrainian armed forces ... were hit."
In July, White House National Security Advisor, Jake Sullivan, considered that it was premature to judge the outcome of Kiev's counteroffensive, adding that while losing "significant" soldiers, Ukrainian forces still have "substantial" reserves to deploy in combat.
Responding to a question on whether the "real counteroffensive is yet to come," Sullivan indicated that "there have already been significant amounts of casualties and deaths of Ukrainian fighters in this counteroffensive, so it is well underway. And it is hard going. And we said it would be hard going."
It is worth noting that 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."
Russian President Vladimir Putin stressed that Western supporters of Kiev are disappointed with the results of Ukraine's counteroffensive against Russia, pointing out that despite the supply of weapons and foreign mercenaries, the Ukrainian forces have not been successful in breaking through the Russian army's front lines.
