MOSCOW, June 23. /TASS/. Delays in the supplies of Western weapons to Ukraine provided Russian forces with enough time to prepare defense lines, ultimately stymieing Kiev’s much-touted counteroffensive, said Mikhail Podolyak, an advisor to the chief of the Ukrainian presidential office.
"Time is always of the essence," he said on Twitter. "The time taken to convince our partners to provide the necessary armaments is reflected in the specific Russian fortifications that were built over that period, the deeply dug in defense line and a system of minefields. Breaking up the Russian front today requires a sensible and measured approach."
Podolyak also warned against expecting quick results.
Since the start of Russia's special military operation, Western countries have ratcheted up supplies of weapons and military equipment to Kiev, increasing the value of these supplies by billions of dollars. The Ukrainian government has insisted on accelerating these deliveries and stated the country needed more weapons.
Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky has acknowledged that the progress of the Ukrainian counteroffensive against Russian forces has been slower than expected, and warned against looking at it like some Hollywood blockbuster. Ukrainian Prime Minister Denis Shmygal has attributed the lack of substantial progress to efforts to prevent significant losses among Ukrainian troops. CNN reported, citing a senior Pentagon official, that the Ukrainian counteroffensive had not met the expectations of Western partners in any area.
According to the Russian Defense Ministry, Ukrainian troops have been making unsuccessful attempts at an offensive since June 4. On June 22, Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolay Patrushev said that Ukrainian losses since the start of the counteroffensive had exceeded 13,000 troops. Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that the Ukrainian Armed Forces hadn’t achieved success in any area.