Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the Ukrainian army’s ongoing counter-offensive should “gain pace” after a slow start. Speaking at the Aspen Security Forum, Zelenskyy attributed the operation’s slow progress to the launch delay and lack of ammunition. “We had planned to launch it in the spring, but we didn’t do it because, frankly, we didn’t have enough ammunition and armament and not enough well-trained brigades with these weapons,” the Ukrainian president said.
“Because we started a little late, it can be said – and this is the truth shared by all experts – that Russia had time to mine our entire country and build several defense lines,” he added. “They definitely had a little more time than they needed because they were building all these lines. “They placed many mines on our fields because our counter-offensive is progressing more slowly,” Zelenskyy said.