President Zelensky says Ukraine has plans for major counterattack but needs weapons
(Baonghean.vn) - President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Ukraine has a major counterattack plan. However, the country needs more Western weapons for this new counterattack, especially weapons from the US.
According to RIA Novosti, in an interview with Bild (Germany) on April 9, President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Kiev has plans for a new counterattack.
“Yes, we have a counterattack plan,” President Zelensky said.
The Ukrainian leader stressed that to carry out the offensive, Ukraine needs advanced weapons systems from foreign partners, including the United States. Mr. Zelensky also expressed hope that Kiev will receive modern technology to produce the latest weapons.
Meanwhile, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said on April 9 that its military transferred to Ukraine a quantity of light weapons and ammunition that Washington seized when Iran transferred them to Tehran-backed military forces in Yemen.
Accordingly, the US Government transferred more than 5,000 AK-47s, machine guns, sniper rifles, RPG-7s and more than 500,000 7.62mm bullets to the Ukrainian armed forces on April 4. These weapons will help Ukraine defend against Russia and are enough to equip a brigade.
The arms transfer comes amid a significant shortage of ammunition in Ukraine, as a $60 billion aid proposal for Kiev remains stuck in the US Congress.
However, according to experts, these small arms cannot help Ukraine make up for the shortage of important weapons such as heavy artillery shells and air defense systems.
In January 2024, Russian President Vladimir Putin affirmed that the Ukrainian Armed Forces had failed in the counteroffensive in the summer of 2023, and the initiative on the battlefield was now in the hands of the Russian Armed Forces.
According to Mr. Putin, if Ukraine continues to plan a counterattack, "the question of Ukraine's statehood will soon arise."