Ukrainian Armed Forces counterattack in country’s east – Defense Ministry

She reported the information during the national telethon. 

“It is important to understand that there will be no day when the Armed Forces will say: tomorrow we will launch a counteroffensive. This is not possible during war, because this is classified information,” the Deputy Defense Minister said. 

Maliar asked Ukrainians not to think that the counteroffensive is limited to active actions, as the strategic goal is to de-occupy all Ukrainian territories: “We are aimed at liberating the territory and we are aimed at stopping the enemy in its offensive actions.”

“It is incorrect to speak narrowly about the counteroffensive. This is a huge set of different actions and measures that the Armed Forces are currently taking. First of all, it is preparing personnel for a set of actions – both defensive and offensive. They include the preparation of equipment, people, reserves, and the formation of certain tactics - plans A, B, and C. There cannot be only one course of action, because the enemy also reacts to this,” the Ministry of Defense emphasized. 

The decision to attack by the military is made quickly, in a very short period of time, not a month or more.

“The plan is finally chosen in such a way that the enemy cannot react. You must understand that the Armed Forces are not preparing one thing in any particular direction, but you must understand that the Armed Forces are preparing every day for the complete liberation of our territories, not just a counteroffensive,” said Maliar.

The deputy minister elaborated that this involves a huge set of measures: “For example, in Bakhmut, where, among other things, our troops are actively assaulting. The Armed Forces are constantly preparing for various defensive and offensive actions. In fact, counteroffensive actions are already taking place in the east.”

Maliar added that Ukrainian soldiers are quite successfully operating in the Lyman, Avdiivka and Marinka directions, and the Russian enemy cannot advance there.

• The head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine's Ministry of Defense, Kyrylo Budanov, said that Russia had failed in its winter-spring offensive and lost its attack potential.

• Instead, NSDC Secretary Oleksii Danilov said that the Ukrainian Armed Forces would launch a counteroffensive only when they were fully prepared and received everything promised by their partners.

• On April 6, The New York Times reported on the leak of classified documents detailing US and NATO plans to reinforce the Ukrainian army ahead of a planned counteroffensive. The Pentagon launched an investigation.

• Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, who is on a visit to the United States, said that Kyiv and Washington remain united in preparing for a counteroffensive, despite the leak of classified documents.

• Ukraine believes that the Pentagon data leak will not affect the course of the war with Russia. Some plans for a counteroffensive were not disclosed to the Americans.

• Based on the analysis of Pentagon documents, it became known that the 'arms supply' from the West will end with a 'spring offensive' scheduled for April 30, 2023.