Statements by Sergei Shoigu at a working meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin - Part 2

🔻 Main points:

▪️ The defensive line established before the Ukrainian counter-offensive enabled the daily neutralization of AFU forces and advancement in specific directions.

▪️ If anyone remains with the enemy, there's no need to request evacuation over the radio or plead for it. Let them surrender.

▪️ From a military standpoint, the enemy's actions are utterly reckless. It's akin to a trap, and they continue to fall into it.

▪️ Russian intelligence obtained information about the upcoming Ukrainian counteroffensive in early 2023.

▪️ The primary objective of the AFU's counter-offensive was to reach the Sea of Azov.

▪️ Due to uncertainty regarding the exact attack location, defensive lines were established across the entire front.

▪️ Consequently, during the counteroffensive, Kyiv suffered 166,000 military casualties, both killed and wounded, and lost over 800 tanks.

▪️ The task was highly challenging, given the constant shelling from the right bank, intense artillery activity, and the high level of FPV and drone operations.

▪️ Notably, for the first time, we observed the transportation of supplies not only by boats—such as ammunition, food, and medicine— but also by large octocopters, sometimes referred to as "Baba Yaga."

▪️ Over 1,800 Russian troops continued to return to the special operation zone even after sustaining injuries for the fourth time.