Ukraine counteroffensive is 'slower than desired', says Zelensky

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Wednesday that the country'scounteroffensive against Russia was "slower than desired," but Kyiv will not be pressured into speeding it up as Ukrainian soldiers are moving through dangerous minefields.

"Some people believe this is a Hollywood movie and expect results now. It's not," Britain's BBC quoted him as saying in an interview. "What's at stake is people's lives."

Ukraine has said that its counteroffensive has recaptured eight villages so far. However, Ukrainian forces are yet to tackle the main defensive lines that Russia has prepared. Russia has had months to prepare these defensive lines. It is believed that Ukraine has set aside 12 brigades consisting of thousands of troops for the assault. Most of these troops are yet to join the fight.

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Reuters reported that Ukrainian forces have indeed advanced several kilometres.

The BBC quoted Zelensky as saying the military push was not going easily because 200,000 sq km (77,220 sq miles) of Ukrainian territory had been mined by Russian forces.

"Whatever some might want, including attempts to pressure us, with all due respect, we will advance on the battlefield the way we deem best," he added.

Minor recent gains

After a series of initial gains, Ukraine claimed to have captured only one more village last week. On Wednesday, officials said that forces in the south were consolidating earlier gains while those in the east were resisting Russian attacks.

"They had partial success over the past day, they have consolidated at the boundaries that were reached and they have evened up the front line," Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Maliar said.

Zelensky's interview with Britain's public broadcaster was timed to coincide with a conference in London where allies were due to pledge billions of dollars in economic and reconstruction aid.

Washington has offered an additional $1.3 billion to Kyiv. Ukraine's Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal told the conference Kyiv was hoping for more than $6 billion from the event.

The West, led by the US, has already poured in tens of billions of dollars in humanitarian as well as military aid. The military equipment provided to Ukraine includes hundreds of tanks and armoured vehicles. The forces that took shape as a result of all this help are expected to form the core of those set to be unleashed in Ukraine's counteroffensive.

Some of Ukraine's supporters worry that Kyiv will have to show impressive results on the battlefield in the coming weeks or risk political support waning in the West.

Both sides have stepped up longer-range attacks with missiles and drones in preparation for the fighting at the front. Russia said on Wednesday it had shot down drones that had reached the region surrounding Moscow. Kyiv never comments on reports of attacks inside Russia.

(With inputs from agencies)

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