“This is not a show. Every meter is gained by blood”: Ukraine’s Commander-In-Chief Zaluzhnyi defies disappointment in slower-than-expected counteroffensive

The Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, said that the Ukrainian soldiers pay with blood for the de-occupation of every meter of Ukrainian land, so external comments "pisses" him off that the counteroffensive is happening more slowly than expected.

Zaluzhnyi said this in an interview with The Washington Post.

It "pisses me off," Zaluzhnyi said when he heard that Ukraine's long-awaited counteroffensive in the east and south had started slower than expected. He said his troops had gained some ground — even if it was just 500 meters — daily.

"This is not a show. It's not a show the whole world is watching and betting on or anything. Every day, every meter is given by blood," said Zaluzhnyi. 

The commander-in-chief said that for the Ukrainian counteroffensive to advance faster, it needed more of each type of weapon and air superiority, F-16 fighter jets.

According to him, these plans are generally impossible to implement without the full support of the army, but despite everything, "they are being carried out."

"Yes, maybe not as fast as the participants in the show, the observers, would like, but that is their problem," Zaluzhnyi concluded.

Earlier, Zaluzhnyi said that the Ukrainian Armed Forces were able to intercept the strategic initiative on the battlefield.