NextFin news, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Wednesday, September 17, 2025, that Russia's military has been significantly weakened by heavy losses in personnel and equipment, rendering it unable to carry out major offensive operations in Ukraine.
Speaking during a press briefing following a meeting with European Parliament President Roberta Metsola, Zelenskyy revealed that Russian forces had attempted offensives in four directions this year, including Sumy, Novopavlivka, Pokrovsk, and Zaporizhzhia. He noted that in two of these directions, Russian advances failed with substantial losses, forcing a redeployment of troops.
"Thanks to the successful actions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Russia has lost many personnel needed to carry out strong additional actions," Zelenskyy said. He added that as of now, Russia does not have sufficient forces for large-scale operations.
Earlier, on September 16, Zelenskyy warned that Russia plans to launch two more heavy offensive campaigns in Ukraine. He emphasized the need for increased military aid from international partners to help Ukrainian forces withstand these upcoming assaults.
In an interview with Sky News, Zelenskyy stated, "All of Russia's advances, all their offensive missions — there have already been three, and ahead they are still planning two heavy offensive campaigns — the last three of their missions have failed." He described this as an important signal of Russia's weakening military capacity.
Zelenskyy also highlighted that Russian forces suffered heavy losses in manpower and equipment during their failed offensives, particularly in the Sumy region, where Ukrainian forces completely disrupted the Russian operation.
He called for continued support for Ukraine, including weapons and financial aid to sustain Ukrainian production of drones and electronic warfare systems, which are critical for defense.
Regarding peace efforts, Zelenskyy reiterated Ukraine's readiness for leader-level meetings to negotiate an end to the war but noted that previous talks had not yielded positive results.
These statements come amid ongoing conflict in eastern Ukraine, where fighting continues despite Russia's setbacks. Zelenskyy's comments underline the current military situation as of mid-September 2025 and the challenges facing Russian forces in sustaining offensive operations.
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