MOSCOW, December 21. /TASS/. The Russian forces in the zone of the special military operation are engaged in active defense and constantly expand the zones of control in all directions, Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov told a briefing for foreign military attaches.
Kiev has failed the much-hyped counteroffensive despite a huge western support, he added.
Standoff with US, NATO
The hegemony of the United States and its allies is going to the past, but Washington wants to keep the "western-centric world order" at any price. NATO annually holds close to 40 exercises at Russian borders and all of them focus on the fight against Russia.
"Accelerated integration of Sweden and Finland into the alliance, the growing presence of NATO troops in Eastern Europe, Baltic and Black Sea regions, as well as the Arctic negatively affect the situation in Europe with prospects of increased confrontation."
Western support to Kiev
The developments in Ukraine are a hybrid proxy war of the United States and its allies against the Russian Federation. Since February 2022, Kiev has received over 5.2 thousand tanks and armored vehicles, close to 1.5 thousand artillery guns and multiple launch rocket systems, 1.3 thousand antiaircraft missile complexes, over 23 thousand antitank missile complexes, over a hundred airplanes and helicopters, and 23 thousand drones.
Close to 100,000 Ukrainian military were trained in the West. Besides, Ukraine received over 200 long-range cruise missiles.
Failed counteroffensive
This year, the Russian military focused on repelling the Ukrainian counteroffensive, which planned to deprive Russia of the land corridor to Crimea.
"By early June, the enemy accumulated in the Zaporozhye direction an offensive force numbering up to 50 battalions, over 230 tanks and over a thousand armored vehicles. A half of them were modern foreign-made vehicles. The force was later increased to 80 battalions."
"The enemy planned to block Melitopol in 15 days and advance to the Sea of Azov, Mariupol and the border with Crimea."
Ukraine sustained huge losses, but could advance insignificantly and failed to break through the Russian tactical defense. In half a year, Ukraine lost in all directions close to 160 thousand men, over 3,000 tanks and armored vehicles, nearly 150 airplanes and helicopters.
"The widely advertised counteroffensive by Ukraine and NATO allies has failed."
Current situation
"The Russian forces are successfully engaged in active defense, hold the positions along the whole contact line, and constantly expand the areas of control in all directions. The enemy is constantly subject to strikes that deny it a chance to move forward."
The Russian air defense has destroyed over 6,300 aerial targets, including over 4,600 drones since the beginning of the year.
The Russian military delivered strikes with long-range precision weapons at 1,500 objects, including defense enterprises and critically important facilities. "One of the results of the strikes was a considerable decrease in the output of the Ukrainian military-industrial complex."
Ukrainian terrorism
As Ukraine fails to achieve success on the battlefield, it resorts to terrorist methods. In the DPR, over 4,700 civilians, including 140 children, have been killed since February 2022. Over 16 thousand residential houses and nearly 3,500 civilian infrastructure objects have been damaged or destroyed.
"Ukraine does not abandon attempts of nuclear terrorism and systematically launches unmanned aerial vehicles with explosives to the Zaporozhye NPP and the town of Energodar."
Military development
The Ground Forces have formed two combined arms armies and 14 formations. The Aerospace Forces formed three formations.
The military received over 1,500 new and upgraded tanks, close to 3,000 armored vehicles, over 230 airplanes and helicopters and over 20,000 drones. Four submarines and eight warships joined the Navy.
Partnerships
The Defense Ministry continues to develop military and military-technical cooperation with foreign military agencies. Over 600 important events have been implemented this year.
In particular, all-round strategic partnership is developed with China and India and all-round interaction is maintained with North Korea.