MOSCOW, May 18. /TASS/. Ukrainian forces missed their opportunity to launch a counteroffensive in the Zaporozhye Region last fall, and now it is too late to carry one out, the region’s head Yevgeny Balitsky said on Thursday.

"The enemy's readiness for a counteroffensive is now quite low. <...> If we compare it with the fall, <...> we have everything we need to repel any offensive. Only a madman would be crazy enough to try to attack such powerful fortifications. In all probability, they (the Ukrainian military - TASS) missed out on the chance to launch a counterattack in the fall," Balitsky said during a Rossiya-24 TV broadcast.

According to him, as of today, Russian troops are ready to repel any attack.

Earlier, Balitsky repeatedly pointed out that a very strong line of defense has been created on the line of engagement in the region. In turn, Vladimir Rogov, chairman of the "We Are Together with Russia" movement, noted that the Zaporozhye area could become a priority for Ukrainian troops due to plans to seize the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant and also to reach Melitopol and the Sea of Azov, cutting off the land corridor to Crimea. Information about the redeployment of Ukrainian units, equipment and foreign mercenaries there comes regularly. At the same time, the topic of a possible counterattack by the Ukrainian armed forces has been discussed in the media for several months, with various start dates being mentioned.