Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed what many assume to be the start of Ukraine’s eagerly awaited counteroffensive and claimed his forces do not yet possess enough modern weapons.
According to representatives of the Kremlin and a number of media sources, Ukraine has begun its counteroffensive against Russia in the conflict that Putin started more than 15 months ago. Officials from Kyiv have recently stated that the offensive strikes do not mark the beginning of the military operation, although the counteroffensive has not yet been launched.
Putin remarked at a news conference in Sochi, according to the Russian official media source RT, “We can state with absolute certainty that this Ukrainian counteroffensive has begun, and the use of strategic reserves points to it.”
According to RT, Putin also “acknowledged that Moscow’s troops are facing shortages of modern weapons, and expressed hope that the country’s military industry will soon be able to satisfy growing demand.”
The Russian commander made no further mention of the sophisticated weapons he believes his nation is missing, but his soldiers have used a lot of ammunition during the conflict. In recent weeks, Moscow has significantly increased the frequency of its missile attacks.
While reports imply that Putin’s military has resorted to taking out obsolete tanks from storage due to significant losses of armored vehicles in Ukraine, international officials have been speculating for months that Putin could soon run out of his sophisticated missiles.
It is out of character for Putin to confess it, according to Guy McCardle, managing editor of Special Operations Forces Report (SOFREP), who told Newsweek that he thinks Russia is running low on some types of weapons.
In particular, main battle tanks and ballistic missiles are in short supply, McCardle noted. “The fact that they are using so many glider bombs today is proof of this. They still possess cruise missiles, but given their high cost, they are unable to launch them at will.
McCardle stated that his weapons makers had been slowed down in spite of Putin’s wishes.
He explained, “This is because of international sanctions that influence the components used to produce the armaments.
According to Tass, another Russian state news organization, Putin also claimed that the Ukrainian counteroffensive had failed during the press conference in Sochi.
According to Tass, he claimed that “the Ukrainian troops did not achieve their goals and objectives in any of the hostilities.”
Before saying that “it can be stated that all attempts made so far by the counteroffensive have failed,” Putin added that it is unknown “whether the [Ukrainian] offensive has bogged down or not.”
He reportedly cautioned, though, that “the offensive potential of the Kyiv regime troops still remains.”
Volodymyr Zelensky, the president of Ukraine, has benefited from the sophisticated weapons that his country has received from his Western partners, despite Putin’s suggestion that his country’s arsenal may be insufficient in some regions.
Zelensky has received weapons from just the United States, including more than 100 Bradley Fighting Vehicles, FGM-148 Javelin antitank guided missile systems, and M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS). 31 Abrams tanks, which will be prepared for battle later this year, have also been pledged to Ukraine by the Biden administration.
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