Poland's Ambassador to Ukraine Bartosz Cichocki told TVN24 on Saturday (September 10) that "around Kharkiv and in southern Donbass, the situation is very difficult". In his view, information regarding recent successes of the Ukrainian army has been recepted by the soldiers as "a very positive signal which lifts their spirits and gives them hope that Russians can be defeated".
Poland's Ambassador to Ukraine Bartosz Cichocki spoke in TVN24's "Fakty po Faktach" about the situation on the Ukrainian war front and recent successful counter-offensive launched by the Ukrainian forces in Kharkiv Oblast.
The diplomat also said that members of the Ukrainian government and parliament in Kiev shared a conviction that "it's an important, new stage of the war, which will still last for some time". "From the military point of view it's a local success, but it's too early to assess. We still don't know the data. Certainly the general staff, the defence ministry know this data, but don't yet know how costly this operation was, we don't know if Ukrainian forces will manage to create defence lines and hold this territory," the ambassador said.
"We are aware that right outside and around Kharkiv and in southern Donbass, the situation is very difficult," he added.
Ambassador Cichocki: Russia will respond but we're yet not sure how
Ambassador Cichocki admitted, however, that what the Ukrainian army had managed to achieve was "a huge success". "Ukrainian soldiers at this extensive, over 1000-kilometres-long frontline, who have been under heavy Russian artillery fire for months now, certainly see the news about the successes of their colleagues and brothers as a very positive signal which lifts their spirits and gives them hope that Russians can be defeated, that Ukrainian lands, Ukrainian cities and villages can be liberated," he said.
Cichocki was also asked why - in his opinion - the Ukrainian chief military staff were so reluctant to release official information regarding further cities being liberated.
"We've had a phenomenal military success in Kyiv Oblast which saved the capital city and secured - at least for now - the Belarusian front, but let's remember that this Ukrainian operation did not end the war. It opened its new stage. We are aware that the sutuation in southern Donbass, the Kherson region, is very difficult, and we are aware Russia will respond to what has happened. We don't yet know how. At least I don't know how," Polish Ambassador to Ukraine said.
Źródło: TVN24 News in English, TVN24
Źródło zdjęcia głównego: TVN24