According to Zelenskyy, the situation on the battlefield is "much better than in the past three months."
He noted that Ukraine's defenders have faced challenges due to a scarcity of artillery ammunition, Russian air dominance and long-range weapons, and mass drone attacks, but "the Russian offensive has now been halted," with enemy forces suffering heavy casualties.
Commenting on the situation in Avdiivka, Zelenskyy maintains that Russia has not captured the city but has “completely destroyed” it. He appealed to the Western countries to provide Ukraine with longer-range weapons, stating that the Russian military has a “20 kilometer” advantage over Ukrainian forces in terms of reach.
The New York Times previously reported that the Russian offensive near Avdiivka had stalled, in part due to the troops’ exhaustion after months of fighting and the significant forces that Ukraine has deployed to defend the area.