Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said in an interview with Estonian television channel ERR that the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces is planning a counteroffensive in several areas in spring.
The minister believes that in 2023 the world will see “ positive changes for Ukraine."
"I am sure that we will continue to liberate temporarily occupied territories, as was done in Kyiv, Chernihiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, Kherson (oblasts). This will all continue," Reznikov said.
Asked when German Leopard-2 tanks would be seen at the front, Reznikov replied that they would probably be used in April-May.
"You will see them in a counterattack, according to the decision of our General Staff. It is already planned in several directions. It depends on when the most suitable moment will be.”
Reznikov also added that a lot depends on the weather conditions. “In spring, the soil is very wet. Only tracked vehicles can be used then.”
When speaking about Bakhmut, an embattled city in Donetsk Oblast that has seen some of the fiercest fighting in the war, Reznikov said that Ukrainian forces had significantly reduced the Russian offensive potential, which will help the defenders “keep the front line stable and give time to prepare for a counteroffensive.”
The minister also claimed that Russian forces were short of ammunition. “They have suffered heavy losses with many dead and wounded. On average, they lose at least five hundred soldiers every day,” Reznikov said.
Alexander Query
(Updated: )
