BERLIN, June 22. /TASS/. Ukraine will not be able to achieve strategic success on the battlefield during the counteroffensive, its armed forces suffer great casualties, say German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP) experts Christian Moelling and Andras Racz, according to ZDF.

"Obviously, the counteroffensive has not yet improved Ukraine’s posture [on the battlefield] strategically […] Casualties are high," they said, adding that "individual liberated settlements are either too small or have no strategic importance."

The DGAP also noted that Kiev has no capabilities for efficient air defense and experiences deficit of aviation. Ukrainian forces are "effectively defenseless" before Russian aviation, the experts noted.

According to the Russian Defense Ministry, Ukrainian forces have been making futile offensive attempts since June 4. On June 22, Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolay Patrushev said that Ukraine has lost over 13,000 personnel since the beginning of the counteroffensive. Russian President Vladimir Putin also underscored that Ukrainian forces have been unsuccessful on all directions.