Ukraine's Defence Minister on counteroffensive: We are in preparatory phase right now, this year will see a turning point

Ukraine’s Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov has said that the current phase of the counteroffensive was a "preparatory operation" and promised that once the counteroffensive is fully underway it will be a success.

Source: Reznikov in an interview for Fox News

Details: The minister described the current stage of the counteroffensive, now in its third week, as "some kind of preparatory operation" and acknowledging that Russian forces had built up "very strong defensive lines".

However, he denied that the current manoeuvres were the main assault for the Ukrainian military. He said that when the offensive reaches its full force, it will be a success, bringing Ukraine "one step closer to victory".

He admitted that early expectations for the counteroffensive were "overestimated" and said that Ukraine is very careful when it puts its brave and motivated soldiers in harm’s way. 

"We try to save their lives," Reznikov said, while describing Russia’s approach to using its own troops as a "meat grinder".

Reznikov also said this year will see a turning point in the war.

Quote from Reznikov: "My gut feeling is we will win this war because we are fighting for our country [...] This year will be a game changer."

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