Ukrainian President Admits Kiev Army Faces Fierce Resistance from Russia

Ukrainian President Zelensky. Photo: NBC

In an interview with NBC broadcast on June 15, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky said that the Ukrainian army is facing fierce resistance from Russia along the line of contact.

In an interview posted on NBC's website, Mr. Zelensky said: "Our troops on the front lines are facing very fierce resistance."

In the opinion of the President of Ukraine, the current military action will be decisive for the outcome of Russia's special operation.

Asked about the prospects for deliveries of US-made F-16 fighter jets, Mr Zelensky said that these had been delayed due to bureaucratic issues.

“I understand there is bureaucracy,” he said. “But we are losing time, we are losing people and, most importantly, we are losing our advantage.”

“Russia controls the airspace,” he continued. “Ukraine wants to be able to compete in the air — let us do it today.”

The Russian Defense Ministry said that the Ukrainian army has been failing in its offensive since June 4, suffering losses in manpower and equipment. Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said on June 6 that in just three days, Russian forces had repelled all Ukrainian attempts to launch a “long-promised counteroffensive,” and that Ukrainian personnel losses had reached 3,715.

Russian President Vladimir Putin also stressed that Ukrainian forces have not achieved any success in any area. According to data provided by Bloomberg, the West recognizes significant losses of Ukrainian personnel and equipment. At the same time, Politico quoted officials of the US President Biden administration as saying that continued support for Kiev will depend on the success of the counteroffensive.