Stoltenberg: no one expected that Ukraine's offensive would take place without losses

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, answering journalists' questions on Wednesday about Ukraine's losses in the offensive on the southern front, said that losses were inevitable.

He emphasized that the task of Ukraine's allies is to ensure the supply of weapons and equipment to Ukraine so that it can continue its offensive.

Source. This was reported by the AFP news agency, cited by Interfax-Ukraine.

"There will be losses, of course, including in modern NATO equipment. No one expected the losses to be zero. This is the reality: there are very fierce battles going on there," Stoltenberg said.

"When you launch such a large counteroffensive against a static and well-prepared defense line, which includes minefields, anti-tank ditches, and dragon's teeth, there will certainly be losses. However, the Ukrainians are advancing, they have shown that they are very professional," the agency quoted him as saying.

Military experts have estimated, based on open data, that in recent attacks on the southern front, Ukrainian units have lost, in particular, about a dozen American MRAP armored vehicles and probably at least three Leopard tanks of two different modifications.

The BBC confirmed that the Ukrainian army had advanced to within 7 kilometers and liberated four settlements south of the village of Velyka Novosilka in Donetsk region.

However, they add: "russian forces have generally performed well in defense in well-prepared positions and have retreated behind tactical lines. This 'maneuvering approach' is becoming a problem for the Ukrainians – and it is also costing the advancing forces dearly. That's why the advance has been slow so far."

Officials note that the losses of Ukrainian armored vehicles in the minefields were expected. According to them, most of the vehicles were not completely destroyed, and their crews mostly managed to survive.

If a similar operation were conducted by NATO forces, the interlocutors say, one would also expect significant losses.

"From the very beginning, it was clear that this was a risk. There is nothing unexpected in what is happening. It is a difficult task, and it is not easy for Ukrainians to accomplish it. But at the same time, we see them moving forward even where they suffer losses. So overall, everything is going in the right direction," the Western official said in an interview with the BBC.

Background. As a reminder, the Pentagon has announced that it will provide Ukraine with new armored vehicles to replace those lost in the fighting. In particular, the new US aid package includes Stryker and Bradley armored vehicles.