Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu on Saturday called for the production of more tanks to meet the needs of the army in the midst of Ukraine’s counteroffensive.
Shoigu, who visited a military plant in the Omsk region (western Siberia), “set himself the goal of continuing to increase tank production,” the Russian army said in a statement, quoted by the French news agency AFP.
The minister justified that the new tanks are needed “to meet the needs of Russian forces performing the tasks of a special military operation” in Ukraine, the statement said.
Russia officially calls the war against Ukraine, which began with an invasion on February 24, 2022, a “special military operation.”
Shoigu also stressed the need to improve the security of armored vehicles and their crews, the army said in a statement.
Shoigu’s statement came against the backdrop of a Ukrainian counter-offensive aimed at reclaiming Russian-held territory in Ukraine.
Moscow continues to insist on the failure of the counter-offensive, while Kyiv claims to have liberated several settlements and about 100 square kilometers, mainly on the southern front.
British intelligence today acknowledged that Russian forces have gained “a temporary advantage in southern Ukraine, especially thanks to attack helicopters using long-range missiles against ground targets.”
In a daily assessment published by the UK Department of Defense, London-based analysts note that Russia has beefed up helicopter forces in southern Ukraine since the start of the Ukrainian counter-offensive.
“Images show that more than 20 Russian helicopters have been deployed to Berdyansk airport, about 100 kilometers from the front line,” they added.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday that Ukrainian forces in the counteroffensive had failed, recording “very heavy losses.”
Putin also considered that Ukraine would not be able to fight “for a long time” due to the lack of military equipment, despite Western supplies.
According to AFP, Western military analysts say Kyiv has yet to throw the bulk of its forces into a counteroffensive.
Western allies of Ukraine are supplying Kyiv with military equipment to fight Russian troops.
The Western allies have also imposed sanctions on Russia’s economic interests to try to reduce Moscow’s ability to fund the war effort.
The conflict plunged Europe into what is considered the most serious security crisis since World War II (1939-1945).
The number of civilian and military casualties is unknown, but several sources, including the UN, acknowledged that it would be high.
Author: Portuguese
Source: CM Jornal
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