Russia's summer offensive has fallen 'far short of expectations,' Zelensky says
Moscow's ongoing summer offensive has not reached the Kremlin's expectations as Ukrainian troops continue to thwart Russian attacks on various regions, President Volodymyr Zelensky claimed on July 13.
"We see the enemy’s intentions and attempts to advance, and it is important that each of these attempts is being thwarted thanks to the resilience of our units and active defense," Zelensky said on Telegram. "The Russian army has fallen far short of its command’s expectations for this summer."
Russia launched its new campaign at the beginning of May, aiming to advance deeper into eastern Donetsk Oblast and carve out a buffer zone in northeastern Sumy Oblast.
Kyiv has claimed success in holding off a Russian advance into northeastern Sumy Oblast. Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said last month that the Russian offensive is "faltering," with Ukrainian forces allegedly pinning down about 50,000 Russian troops in the sector.
Elsewhere along the front line, Russia continues to make marginal in-roads in capturing more Ukrainian territory. Despite Russian claims that it has opened a new front in seizing its first village in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, Kyiv has repeatedly denied that it has gained a foothold in the region.
"Our units will continue to destroy the occupiers and do everything possible to bring the war onto Russian territory. We are preparing new long-range strikes," Zelensky said, as Ukraine anticipates additional long-range weapons shipments from Germany by the end of the month.
The Economist said in its analysis published on July 9 that roughly 31,000 Russian soldiers were killed in the offensive so far, in comparison to some 190,000-350,000 deaths and up to 1.3 million overall Russian casualties of the entire full-scale war.
As Russia continues its assault along the front line, Ukraine's challenges are compounded by an increase in aerial assaults on Ukrainian cities, with Moscow launching over 700 drones some nights.
As prospects of a peace deal falter, U.S. President Donald Trump said he anticipating making a "major" announcement on Russia on July 14. The announcement may include additional weaponry and new funding for Ukraine — the first such support since Trump took office in January.
