Ukraine's preparations for an upcoming counteroffensive are "coming to an end" as the military undergoes training on Western-provided weapons, Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said on April 28, as cited by Ukrainska Pravda media outlet.
"The equipment has been announced, prepared, and partially delivered. There is equipment on which the training programs are at the final stage. The crews will arrive (in Ukraine) with it when the time and place will be determined," Reznikov said at a press conference.
"But let's say it like this: in a global sense, we are ready by a high percentage," he said, adding that the decision on the date and place of the counteroffensive will be made by the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces.
As of today, Ukraine has reportedly received almost all of the military supplies, including combat vehicles, promised to them by NATO. The equipment is intended to support Ukraine's anticipated spring counteroffensive, which some U.S. officials believe could begin in May.
At the same time, "complex measures" of Ukraine's planned counteroffensive are "already underway" in the east, according to Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar's comments on national television on April 19. Maliar added that the counteroffensive should not be reduced to specific dates and actions.
The outcome of the counteroffensive is expected to be a critical turning point in the war that will determine whether Ukraine reclaims more of its territory or is pressured by allies to meet with Russia at the negotiating table.
The Kyiv Independent news desk
(Updated: )
