06:26Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said that another 'counter-offensive' by Ukrainian armed forces could have even more 'catastrophic losses' than the previous one, speaking at a briefing on the sidelines of the 12th St. Petersburg International Legal Forum (SPILF), Wednesday.
"There are reports coming out now and then about the Kiev regime's plans to launch another, as they call it, counterattack ahead of the NATO summit in Washington on July 8-9. The previous counter-offensive became counter-defensive and led to apparent consequences for the Kiev regime," Zakharova said, adding that authorities on Bankovaya Street "do not consider that the consequences of this reckless scheme may be even worse than the catastrophic losses that the AFU suffered during the previous similar gamble in summer 2023."
The diplomat also noted that Ukraine's statehood, economy and industry had been 'destroyed' by the country's government.
"And there is another tragedy to add. These are the multi-million, multi-billion dollar loans that [Ukrainian President Volodymyr] Zelensky has taken for the future [liabilities] of those who will live in Ukraine. In the end, everything must be paid back," Zakharova concluded.
Speaking at his end-of-year press conference on December 19, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky admitted that the country's counter-offensive in the south had stalled because the AFU didn't 'control the skies' and didn't have 'enough of the relevant weapons', claiming at the same time that Russia had 'failed to achieve any results' in 2023.
On 10 April, Zelensky stated that Ukraine had a plan for a new counter-offensive, but did not specify when it would be launched.
Moscow launched a military offensive in Ukraine in late February 2022 after recognising the independence of the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics (DPR and LPR), claiming that Kiev had failed to guarantee their special status under the 2014 Minsk Agreements, and urging Ukraine to declare itself officially neutral and give assurances that it would never join NATO.
Kiev denounced the Russian action as an invasion. Zelensky imposed martial law throughout the country, announcing a general mobilisation, while the EU and the US imposed several rounds of sanctions on Moscow.
Next Ukraine's 'counter-offensive' may be more catastrophic than previous one - Zakharova
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said that another 'counter-offensive' by Ukrainian armed forces could have even more 'catastrophic losses' than the previous one, speaking at a briefing on the sidelines of the 12th St. Petersburg International Legal Forum (SPILF), Wednesday.
"There are reports coming out now and then about the Kiev regime's plans to launch another, as they call it, counterattack ahead of the NATO summit in Washington on July 8-9. The previous counter-offensive became counter-defensive and led to apparent consequences for the Kiev regime," Zakharova said, adding that authorities on Bankovaya Street "do not consider that the consequences of this reckless scheme may be even worse than the catastrophic losses that the AFU suffered during the previous similar gamble in summer 2023."
The diplomat also noted that Ukraine's statehood, economy and industry had been 'destroyed' by the country's government.
"And there is another tragedy to add. These are the multi-million, multi-billion dollar loans that [Ukrainian President Volodymyr] Zelensky has taken for the future [liabilities] of those who will live in Ukraine. In the end, everything must be paid back," Zakharova concluded.
Speaking at his end-of-year press conference on December 19, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky admitted that the country's counter-offensive in the south had stalled because the AFU didn't 'control the skies' and didn't have 'enough of the relevant weapons', claiming at the same time that Russia had 'failed to achieve any results' in 2023.
On 10 April, Zelensky stated that Ukraine had a plan for a new counter-offensive, but did not specify when it would be launched.
Moscow launched a military offensive in Ukraine in late February 2022 after recognising the independence of the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics (DPR and LPR), claiming that Kiev had failed to guarantee their special status under the 2014 Minsk Agreements, and urging Ukraine to declare itself officially neutral and give assurances that it would never join NATO.
Kiev denounced the Russian action as an invasion. Zelensky imposed martial law throughout the country, announcing a general mobilisation, while the EU and the US imposed several rounds of sanctions on Moscow.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said that another 'counter-offensive' by Ukrainian armed forces could have even more 'catastrophic losses' than the previous one, speaking at a briefing on the sidelines of the 12th St. Petersburg International Legal Forum (SPILF), Wednesday.
"There are reports coming out now and then about the Kiev regime's plans to launch another, as they call it, counterattack ahead of the NATO summit in Washington on July 8-9. The previous counter-offensive became counter-defensive and led to apparent consequences for the Kiev regime," Zakharova said, adding that authorities on Bankovaya Street "do not consider that the consequences of this reckless scheme may be even worse than the catastrophic losses that the AFU suffered during the previous similar gamble in summer 2023."
The diplomat also noted that Ukraine's statehood, economy and industry had been 'destroyed' by the country's government.
"And there is another tragedy to add. These are the multi-million, multi-billion dollar loans that [Ukrainian President Volodymyr] Zelensky has taken for the future [liabilities] of those who will live in Ukraine. In the end, everything must be paid back," Zakharova concluded.
Speaking at his end-of-year press conference on December 19, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky admitted that the country's counter-offensive in the south had stalled because the AFU didn't 'control the skies' and didn't have 'enough of the relevant weapons', claiming at the same time that Russia had 'failed to achieve any results' in 2023.
On 10 April, Zelensky stated that Ukraine had a plan for a new counter-offensive, but did not specify when it would be launched.
Moscow launched a military offensive in Ukraine in late February 2022 after recognising the independence of the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics (DPR and LPR), claiming that Kiev had failed to guarantee their special status under the 2014 Minsk Agreements, and urging Ukraine to declare itself officially neutral and give assurances that it would never join NATO.
Kiev denounced the Russian action as an invasion. Zelensky imposed martial law throughout the country, announcing a general mobilisation, while the EU and the US imposed several rounds of sanctions on Moscow.