Naryshkin announced the containment of the counteroffensive of NATO, not Ukraine

Russian troops are holding back a NATO counteroffensive that uses the Ukrainian army as manpower. This was stated by the director of the Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) of the Russian Federation Sergey Naryshkin at a meeting of the Russian Historical Society (RIO).

“It would be more correct to say that our troops are holding back the counteroffensive of the so-called NATO grouping, where the troops of the Ukrainian army are used as manpower,” noted Naryshkin (TASS quote).

Naryshkin drew a parallel with the battles of Stalingrad and Kursk, which “began with a defensive stage and ended with the complete defeat of the enemy.” This resonates “with the heroic efforts of the Russian army, militias and volunteers, today holding back the so-called counteroffensive of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Azov region and Donbass.”

Former Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Sergey Lavrov declaredthat the NATO countries are actually fighting on the side of Ukraine, there is nowhere to be drawn deeper into the conflict. President Vladimir Putin said back in September 2022 that the Russian army in Ukraine was opposed to “virtually the entire military machine of the collective West.”

The Armed Forces of Ukraine have been conducting offensive operations since June 4. On June 9, Putin said that the counter-offensive of the Armed Forces of Ukraine had definitely begun, but the Ukrainian army was not able to achieve its goals in any sector. June 20 Ministry of Defense reportedthat the Russian military repelled 263 attempts to attack the Armed Forces of Ukraine on the positions of the Russian army. On June 14, the department cited data that since the beginning of the offensive operations of the Armed Forces of Ukraine lost 7500 people killed and wounded.