Ukrainian soldiers cover their ears to protect from the Russian tank shelling in a shelter on the frontline in the Zaporizhzhia regio, July 2, 2023 (AP)

According to Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, the Ukrainian armed forces sustained heavy losses in the Zaporizhzhia direction on Tuesday.

The Minister says the situation in the Zaporizhzhia direction is the tensest. He also mentioned that the Ukrainian armed forces deployed units from their strategic reserve, whose members had received training from Western instructors.

"Thanks to the selfless actions of [Russian] soldiers ... significant damage was done to Ukrainian units," Shoigu said at a meeting with senior defense officials, speaking about Zaporizhzhia.

Ukraine loses over 66,000 military, 7,600 weapons since counteroffensive started

Since the start of the counteroffensive, the Ukrainian army has lost around 66,000 military personnel and 7,600 weapons, Shoigu added.

"Since the beginning of the so-called offensive, enemy losses have exceeded 66,000 people and 7,600 weapons," he said.

Over the previous month, Russian air defense systems had also destroyed 13 cruise missiles, over 1,000 unmanned aerial vehicles, and 159 HIMARS rockets, he added.

"The Russian armed forces continue to destroy the military infrastructure of Ukraine with precision strikes. Over the past month alone, 34 command posts of the Ukrainian armed forces ... were hit."

Kiev lost 21,000 soldiers, 2,200+ pieces of equipment in July: Shoigu

In the month of July alone, Ukraine lost 20,824 soldiers and 2,227 pieces of military equipment during battles, Shoigu said before a meeting with the defense ministry's leadership.

The official further said that from July 26-27, Ukraine lost 400 soldiers and 63 pieces of equipment in the Orikhove direction, adding that Kiev's forces failed to break through Russian defense lines.

The military official further pointed out that as a result of the failed counteroffensive, the Kiev regime has been resorting to strategies of terror operations on civilian infrastructure in Russia.

On another note, the official announced that Russian forces have successfully captured two settlements in the Krasnyi Lyman direction, namely Serhiivka and Kovalivka, as well as Molchanovka railway station in the Kupyansk direction.

In July, White House National Security Advisor, Jake Sullivan, considered that it was premature to judge the outcome of Kiev's counteroffensive, adding that while losing "significant" soldiers, Ukrainian forces still have "substantial" reserves to deploy in combat.

Responding to a question on whether the "real counteroffensive is yet to come," Sullivan indicated that "there have already been significant amounts of casualties and deaths of Ukrainian fighters in this counteroffensive, so it is well underway. And it is hard going. And we said it would be hard going."

It is worth noting that American political scientist John Mearsheimer said in an interview transcribed by The Grayzone: "It seems to me that anybody who knows anything about military tactics and strategy had to understand that there was hardly any chance that the Ukrainian counteroffensive would succeed."

Mearsheimer expressed his surprise at the West's encouragement for the Ukrainians' counteroffensive, which he compared to a suicide attack that would lead to counterproductive results.

Russian President Vladimir Putin stressed that Western supporters of Kiev are disappointed with the results of Ukraine's counteroffensive against Russia, pointing out that despite the supply of weapons and foreign mercenaries, the Ukrainian forces have not been successful in breaking through the Russian army's front lines.