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Zelensky says fighting at the front difficult, Ukrainian counteroffensive not very fast

According to the Ukrainian president, the situation at the front has turned into an artillery duel, with each side firing about 40,000 shells daily

MOSCOW, September 18. /TASS/. Ukraine’s President Vladimir Zelensky acknowledged in an interview with CBS that his country’s army is facing a difficult situation, while the Ukrainian counteroffensive has not been fast enough.

"It's a difficult question. I will be completely honest with you. <…> [The counteroffensive is] not very fast," the Ukrainian leader told the US TV channel. According to him, the situation at the front has turned into an artillery duel, with each side firing about 40,000 shells daily.

According to the Russian Defense Ministry, the Ukrainian army has been making unsuccessful attempts at a counteroffensive since June 4. On September 12, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Ukraine had lost 71,500 servicemen, 543 tanks and almost 18,000 armored vehicles of various types.

Earlier, Oleg Soskin, ex-advisor of former Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma, said that Zelensky was constantly lying about the Ukrainian army’s victories. According to the politician, these lies are being spread fast across the country, in particular on television, although the counteroffensive has had no results. In addition, Retired General Sergey Krivonos, former deputy secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, reproached Zelensky for giving false hope around the actions of the country’s armed forces.