MOSCOW, June 15. /TASS/. Ukraine has not yet launched its counteroffensive, but is just 'testing the entire frontline', Mikhail Podolyak, adviser to the head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, said.
"The entire frontline is being tested," Podolyak said, speaking on a news marathon broadcast on leading Ukrainian TV channels. "We have not yet launched a counteroffensive as such," the official clarified.
In his view, Ukraine is now demonstrating a modern method of conducting combat operations. "That is, we are demonstrating today that we can even conduct operations in the minority in many areas," Podolyak said.
At the same time, he disagreed with the assessments of Western experts on the situation in the combat zone in Ukraine. "There are no Western experts who could understand [what’s going on in] this war, because they are constantly making mistakes. They are constantly attempting to provoke or to prophesize," Podolyak pointed out.
Speaking about the potential timing of the end of hostilities in Ukraine, he opined that it would not occur before 2024.
As the Russian Defense Ministry reported, Ukrainian troops have been making unsuccessful attempts at mounting an offensive since June 4, suffering losses in manpower and equipment. Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said on June 6 that, over three days, Russian forces repulsed all Ukrainian attempts at executing the "long-promised offensive," with losses on the Ukrainian side amounting to 3,715 people. Russian President Vladimir Putin also pointed out that the Ukrainian forces had not seen any success in any area. As follows from data reported by Bloomberg, the West acknowledges significant Ukrainian losses in manpower and equipment. At the same time, Politico quoted Biden administration officials as saying that further assistance to Kiev will depend on the success of the counteroffensive.