Putin Says Western Countries Seem to Be Ready to Fight to Last Ukrainian

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Ukrainian troops launched a large-scale offensive in five sectors of the South Donetsk direction on June 4 but failed to achieve their goals, according to the Russian Defense Ministry.

It looks like Western countries are ready to fight until the last Ukrainian, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday.

"[Military] equipment, of course, can be supplied additionally. But the mobilization reserve is not unlimited. And it seems that Ukraine's Western allies really decided to fight Russia to the last Ukrainian," Putin said at a meeting of the Security Council.

Kiev has already lost over 13,000 people during its counteroffensive, Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev said.

"As for the personnel ... it [Kiev's loss] is more than 13,000 [persons]," Patrushev said at a meeting with members of the Russian Security Council held by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Moreover, Russian forces have already destroyed 246 Ukrainian tanks, including 13 of the Western type, as well as 42 multiple launch rocket systems, two anti-aircraft missile systems, 10 tactical fighters, four helicopters, 264 unmanned aerial vehicles and 424 units of motor vehicles, which Kiev has used during its counteroffensive, Patrushev added.

The figures are based on the generalized data for the period from June 4-21, provided by various departments, the Russian official noted.

Ukrainian troops have slowed down their activity after 16 days of hostilities and are regrouping, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said.

"After 16 days of active hostilities, having suffered significant losses, [the enemy] is regrouping and re-equipping, gathering parts of battalions at the moment," Shoigu said during a meeting of the Russian Security Council.

The Russian armed forces will complete the creation of a reserve army by the end of June and of an army corps in the near future, with the formations scheduled to receive over 3,700 pieces of equipment, Sergei Shoigu added.

"We are forming reserves as part of the army corps, the army, plus five regiments of the 20th tank army. Everything is going according to plan. In fact, we will complete the formation of the reserve army by the end of June and finalize the formation of the army corps there soon," Shoigu said at a meeting with permanent members of the Russian Security Council.

As for now, these five regiments, both in terms of personnel and equipment, are already formed by 60%, the Russian defense chief added.