Ukrainian President Zelensky Says Country is Ready for Counter-Offensive Against Russia

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine was ready to launch a counter-offensive against Russia.

According to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) on the 3rd (local time), President Zelensky said in an interview with the media, “I strongly believe that we will succeed.”

“I don’t know how long it will take,” Zelensky said. “To be honest, it could go a whole different way.”

Since February last year, Ukraine has been preparing for a counteroffensive against Russia. The Ukrainian military has recently stepped up its offensive against the Russian army’s ammunition depots and supply routes by mobilizing artillery assets such as long-range missiles and multiple launch rockets.

It has been pointed out that the anti-counterattack operation is being delayed due to the “Rasputica” phenomenon, in which the frozen ground becomes muddy as spring arrives and the temperature rises, and the delay in arms support to Ukraine from the West, including the United States and Europe (EU).

However, as the ground has recently dried up and support weapons from the West have arrived and are distributed to front-line units, an analysis has emerged that the conditions for a counterattack operation have been met.

President Zelensky acknowledged the fact that Russia’s air force was stronger that day, and expressed concern that “this means that a large number of soldiers will be killed in counteroffensive operations.”

President Zelensky said he wanted to secure more weapons from the West in a counterattack, but Ukraine was still ready to move.

The media interpreted this as President Zelensky tempering the prospect of a successful counteroffensive by warning that it would “take some time and cost a lot of money.”

Donga.com reporter Jaeho Choi cjh1225@donga.com