Armed Forces of Ukraine ready for counteroffensive, wait for command

The Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) are ready for the counteroffensive and are waiting for the command, Ukraine's Defence Minister Alexei Reznikov said, RIA Novosti reports.

According to Reznikov, preparations for the counteroffensive are about to be completed, although the Ukrainian troops are already prepared for it "in global sense".

"Apart from receiving weapons, the military should be able to know how to operate the equipment. We have received fairly modern weapons: Leopard-2, Challengers and Abrams, but I think the Abrams will not be in time for this offensive. The equipment has been partially delivered," the minister said.

Reznikov earlier said that Ukraine was not going to announce the beginning of the counteroffensive to ensure its success. The news will be exposed to the general public a while later, he noted.