Danilov refutes claims that Ukraine’s counteroffensive may be at risk due to casualties

Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, Oleksiy Danilov speaks during a meeting after Russia's decision to recognize the Donetsk and Luhansk regions as independent states, on Feb. 22, 2022, in Kyiv, Ukraine. (Ukrainian Presidency / Handout/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

National Security and Defense Council Secretary Oleksiy Danilov said that information published by the Washington Post about the lack of skilled military personnel due to losses at the front and doubts of anonymous Ukraine’s officials regarding “Kyiv’s readiness for the long-awaited spring offensive” is not true.

“We read these newspapers attentively before Feb. 24, when they all unanimously told us that there would be trouble, that we would not be able to hold,” Danilov said.

“I can say that none of this is true.”

Danilov added that the situation is quite difficult given that Ukraine has been repelling attacks from a larger country for more than a year, but there is nothing surprising.

“We knew it would be difficult for us,” he said. “We are grateful to our partners for their support, but it is not a pleasant thing to undermine the situation in our country by providing information that is not true.”

Danilov emphasized that all the sources quoted by the media are anonymous.