In opening remarks to a conference call involving heads of Russian military, Sergei Shoigu has claimed Ukraine’s counteroffensive has failed. 

Speaking from the centre of a huge screen via videolink this morning, the defence minister, who is also an integral member of Vladimir Putin’s siloviki (inner circle), said Ukraine had suffered “colossal losses” in excess of 66,000. He provided no evidence to substantiate this claim. 

“The Kiev regime, despite the colossal losses, has been trying to conduct the so-called counter-offensive for the third month already,” he said. 

“The armed forces of Ukraine did not achieve their goals in any of the directions. 

“The Ukrainian leadership is desperately trying to demonstrate to Western curators at least some success in offensive operations in order to further obtain military and economic assistance, which only prolongs the conflict.”

You can read the full, translated transcript of his opening remarks here.