- According to the PM, Russia had initially hoped to trounce Ukraine in three days, but that was not to be the case.
- "Ukraine has liberated the Kyiv, Sumy, Chernihiv, Kharkiv, and Kherson regions, this is half of the earlier captured territories by Russia."
Image: MFA Ukraine/Olexii Nazaruk
Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal now says that they have liberated half of the areas that were earlier occupied by Russian soldiers, at the beginning of the full-scale invasion.
According to the PM, Russia had initially hoped to trounce Ukraine in three days, but that was not to be the case.
Shmyhal said this has been possible because of Ukraine's counter-offensive and determination to defend their country.
"When Russia was invading Ukraine they hoped to conquer us in three days. We have already liberated 50 per cent of the earlier occupied territories and we continue our counter-offensive and we are liberating our land," he said.
"Ukraine has liberated the Kyiv, Sumy, Chernihiv, Kharkiv, and Kherson regions, this is half of the earlier captured territories by Russia."
Prime Minister Shmyhal who addressed journalists from 10 African countries noted that since the war began in February 2022, they have hundreds of thousands of Russian soldiers and officers.
He stated that they had also destroyed thousands of Russian tanks and weaponry, that they hoped to use to fight Ukraine.
He added that most of this weaponry somehow failed to be as effective as Russia had hoped it would in its offensive against Ukraine.
"Over this time, we have destroyed over 300,000 Russian soldiers and officers, almost five and a half thousand tanks, hammered vehicles, 7.5 thousand artillery systems and weaponry which were not behaving well in the battlefield as they hoped," Shmyhal said.
He also insisted that what Ukraine seeks as a country is a fair, just and long-term peace.
The PM said peace can only be achieved through the peace formula proposed by President Volodymyr Zelensky, which has since been adopted by the United Nations General Assembly.
Shmyhal said the peace formula is not only about Ukraine but the future of the world, stability, development and new possibilities.
"I would like to emphasise that Ukraine is looking for peace, but a fair just and long-term peace and it's only possible according to the peace formula by President Zelensky.
"It has 10 points and the major bullet points have been reflected in the UN General Assembly resolutions, according to the statute of the UN on long-lasting, sustainable and fair peace, that was adopted on February 23, this year by more than 100 voices and more than 30 votes cast by African countries," he said.
President Zelensky's peace plan emphasises 10 key points including Radiation and nuclear safety, food security, energy security, release of all prisoners and deportees and implementation of the UN Charter and restoration of Ukraine's territorial integrity and the world order.
It also seeks the withdrawal of Russian troops and cessation of hostilities, justice, immediate protection of the environment, prevention of escalation and confirmation of the end of the war.