Zelensky tells US journalists a bunch of lies about Russian forces in Ukraine

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told US-based Fox News that the Russian troops could not occupy "a single Ukrainian village” during this year. However, journalists noted that Zelensky's statement was not true to fact.

"I think the most important thing to understand what is happening is that Russia has not occupied a single village, not a single Ukrainian village during this year," Zelensky said.

Ukraine loses important city in Bakhmut direction

Zelensky is wrong. The Russian army has achieved progress in the Bakhmut direction. On May 21, the Russian Ministry of Defence announced the capture of Bakhmut (the russian name of the city if Artemovsk). The city was taken by assault detachments of private military company PMC Wagner with the support of the Southern Group of Forces (artillery and aviation).

The Battle of Bakhmut started in the summer of 2022 and continued for as many as 224 days. The capture of Bakhmut was announced on April 2, 2023, when the Russian flag was raised above the city administration building. At the same time, the Ukrainian side denied the fact that Kyiv lost the control of the city.

Former Deputy Minister of Defense of Ukraine Hanna Malyar claimed on December 11 that the Ukrainian Armed Forces were experiencing a difficult situation in five directions in the eastern front. According to her, a tense situation was developing for the Armed Forces of Ukraine in Kupyansk, Krasny Lyman, Bakhmut, Marinka and Avdiivka directions.

General Oleksandr Syrskyi, the commander of the ground forces of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, said that the Russian troops continued their offensive along the entire front.

"The enemy does not stop offensive operations along the entire front,” the Ukrainian general said.

Zelensky previously stated that Russia would not stop its actions and would continue the offensive. In his opinion, Moscow has no fear of confrontation with the whole world. The politician suggested that Russia would continue fighting until the United States and China called on Moscow to withdraw its military from the country.