I Do Not Underestimate the Enemy: Ukrainian Commander on Army's Counteroffensive

The commander of Ukraine's Armed Forces' 'Tavria' group, Alexander Tarnavsky, has admitted that the professional qualifications of Russian soldiers prevent Kyiv from achieving success on the battlefield, according to TASS.

In an interview with British broadcaster BBC, he stated that Russian military forces do not allow Ukrainian security forces to advance. 'I do not underestimate the enemy,' said the commander of the war, who had previously pointed out the slow pace of progress.

Earlier, Ukraine's Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov admitted in an interview with CNN that the counteroffensive is behind schedule, which is due to a lack of ammunition and air defense systems. Air Force spokesman Yuri Ihnat noted the superiority of Russian troops in electronic warfare, considering this one of the reasons for the halting of the counteroffensive.

According to the Russian Defense Ministry, the Ukrainian army has been making unsuccessful counteroffensive attempts since June 4. On July 11, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu announced that the Ukrainian Armed Forces have lost more than 26,000 personnel since the start of the counteroffensive. Russian President Vladimir Putin emphasized that Ukrainian forces are not achieving success in any direction.

During a meeting with Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko in Saint Petersburg on July 23, he spoke about the failure of Kyiv's counteroffensive.