Ukrainian troops look for weaknesses in enemy defences, major forces not yet engaged - Syrskyy

In a recent exclusive interview with The Guardian, the commander of Ukraine's ground forces, Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi, revealed that his troops' central offensive reserve had not yet engaged in the ongoing conflict with Russia.

This statement, made from an undisclosed military base in eastern Ukraine, is the first time this information has been publicly confirmed.

Syrsky, who played a key role in the defence of Kyiv and led a counter-offensive that recaptured significant territory in north-eastern Ukraine, urged the world community to be patient. He acknowledged the desire for a quick victory but stressed the situation's complexity, with significant forces and resources concentrated on both sides.

The commander expressed confidence in the readiness and morale of his troops. He assured that Ukrainian troops were actively looking for weaknesses in the enemy defence and that the main forces had not yet entered the fray.

Recent offensives by Russian troops in various locations, including Kupyansk and Liman in the north-east of the Kharkiv Region, have been met with fierce resistance. Syrsky warned against underestimating the enemy, saying that the situation remains difficult as Russia tries to seize the initiative.

Despite the fact that the number of Russian troops on Ukrainian territory exceeds approximately 400,000, Syrsky has not lost his composure. He declared his determination not to endanger the lives of Ukrainians unnecessarily and expressed pride in being on Russia's "kill list" as it diverts attention from his soldiers.

A number of sources have reported that the Ukrainian Armed Forces have liberated Ukrainian territories near Krasnohorivka, which had been under occupier control since 2014.

An updated online map of the hostilities shows that Ukraine has regained control of another 510m². This refers to the territory near Krasnohorivka in Donetsk Region.

A video showing the 79th DShB storming Russian positions near Krasnogorovka has also appeared online.

However, the video of the assault was published two days ago. This was reported by public activist and volunteer Mykhaylo Makaruk, who was one of the first to write about the liberation of the territory.

Blogger Igor Lachen also reported about the liberation of the territory near Krasnohorivka. He later added that the Ukrainian armed forces may have advanced further.

However, as of now, there is no official confirmation from the General Staff.

Earlier today, the commander of the Air Force confirmed that the AFU had hit the Rosgvardiya base in Genichesk.

Rosgvardiya base in Genichesk. The Ukrainian response to the Russian missile terror was not long in coming. The occupants will have no rest on our land! Destroy the Rashists, hold the sky! Together to victory!" said Lieutenant General Mykola Oleshchuk, commander of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Operational information as of 18.00 23.06.2023 on the Russian invasion

• During the day, Russian occupiers carried out a missile and aviation strike on the territory of Ukraine using 14 cruise missiles X-101/Kh-555, three drones Shahed-136/131, as well as four anti-aircraft guided missiles with S-300 on Zaporizhzhya. The air defence forces of the Ukrainian Armed Forces destroyed 14 missiles and two drones. An anti-aircraft missile unit of the Air Force also destroyed a Russian Ka-52 attack helicopter. In addition, the enemy lost seven reconnaissance UAVs.
• The enemy launched 51 air strikes and fired about 50 rocket launchers.
• The enemy continues concentrating its primary efforts in Liman, Bakhmut, Avdiivka and Mariinsk directions, and heavy fighting continues. During the day, more than 27 combat clashes took place.
• The Russian occupants continue to use the infrastructure of temporarily occupied settlements to provide medical assistance to their wounded servicemen. The invaders have set up a field hospital in the village of Chkalovo, Zaporizhzhya region, on the territory of a kindergarten. Two lorries with medical equipment have arrived.
• The air force of the defence forces carried out ten strikes on the areas where the enemy personnel were concentrated during the day.
• Units of missile forces and artillery struck four areas of concentration of personnel and military equipment, 12 artillery units in firing positions, two electronic warfare means, and one means of air defence during the day.

Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of the Wagner PMC, accused the Russian military leadership today of deceiving the public about the scale of losses and failures in Ukraine. He denied Russia's justifications for the invasion of Ukraine, claiming that the invasion was beneficial only to the ruling clan in Russia.

Earlier, Socportal wrote that the AFU had returned eight settlements under Ukrainian control in a fortnight. However, Deputy Defence Minister Anna Malyar said that the situation in the east remains tense. Later, Volodymyr Zelenskyy commented on the slowdown of the counter-offensive and named it the main obstacle for the Ukrainian armed forces. The president also warned about Russia's intention to blow up the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant.