TOKYO, October 26. /TASS/. The Ukrainian Armed Forces’ counter-offensive operation in the country’s south has slowed down, Defence Minister Alexey Reznikov admitted.
The first stage was to deter the advance of Russian troops, the second stage was to stabilize the frontline and currently, Ukraine is in the third stage of its counter-offensive, he said in an interview with Japan’s NHK broadcaster.
Reznikov admitted that the counter-offensive operation had slowed down in the south. However, he was hopeful that the Ukrainian Armed Forces would be able to achieve success before the winter set in and the mobility of troops would decline. He also claimed that Kiev had a realistic plan "to liberate all territories," first and foremost, the Kherson Region.
On February 24, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a special military operation based on a request for assistance from the heads of the Donbass republics. In response, the West imposed major sanctions on Russia. In addition, Western countries started to provide weapons and military equipment to Kiev, whose total value is currently estimated at billions of dollars.
In late September, the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) and the Lugansk People’s Republic (LPR), as well as the Kherson Region and the Zaporozhye Region, held referendums on joining Russia with the majority of voters supporting the idea. Russian President Vladimir Putin and the heads of the DPR and the LPR, the Zaporozhye and Kherson Regions later signed treaties on their accession to Russia. On October 4, Putin signed laws ratifying the treaties.