The Ukrainian armed forces have failed to achieve any of their goals in three months of counteroffensive, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Tuesday.
"The Kiev regime, despite their huge losses, has been trying to conduct the so-called counter-offensive for the third month already. The armed forces of Ukraine did not achieve their goals on any part of the front line," the minister told senior defense officials, adding that the Russian troops are active "along the entire line of contact."
Shoigu added that Kiev is "desperately trying to demonstrate" at least some military success to the West to keep receiving their military and economic support.
"In an attempt to hide the failure of the offensive, Ukrainian militants attack civilian targets and pass them off as military victories," the minister said.
Ukrainian Losses Since June
Ukrainian troops have lost more than 66,000 military and 7,600 weapons since the beginning of the counteroffensive, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said.
"Since the beginning of the so-called offensive, enemy losses have exceeded 66,000 people and 7,600 weapons," Shoigu told at a meeting with senior defense officials.
Additionally, Russian air defense systems have shot down 159 HIMARS rockets, over 1,000 unmanned aerial vehicles and 13 cruise missiles over the past month, the minister said.
"The Russian armed forces continue to destroy the military infrastructure of Ukraine with precision strikes. Over the past month alone, 34 command posts of the Ukrainian armed forces ... were hit," Shoigu added.
The defense chief stressed that the Ukrainian armed forces have suffered significant losses in the Zaporozhye area.
The situation on the Zaporozhye front is the most tense, the minister said, adding that the Ukrainian armed forces brought brigades into battle from their strategic reserve, whose personnel were trained under the guidance of Western instructors.
"Thanks to the selfless actions of [Russian] soldiers ... significant damage was done to Ukrainian units," Shoigu told at a meeting with senior defense officials, speaking about the Zaporozhye direction.
Strategic Bombers for Russian Armed Forces
The Russian military will receive four new Tu-160M strategic bombers and six modernized Il-76 military transport aircrafts this year, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said.
"This year, the armed forces should receive six Il-76MD-90A and four Tu-160M," Shoigu told senior defense officials.