'Ukraine's counter-offensive a failure', says Putin

'Will expose foreign mercenaries fighting for Ukraine', Putin said

ITDC INIDA EPRESS/ ITDC NEWS:  In a meeting with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, Russian President Vladimir Putin called Ukraine's counteroffensive a failure and the country's losses have increased since the launch of counteroffensive. Putin added he would expose foreign mercenaries fighting on the Ukrainian side.

The leaders met at St.Petersburg on Sunday. According to reports, Lukashenko told Putin that “there is no counteroffensive” to which Putin replied, “ It exists, but it has failed.” Putin informed the Belarusian President that Ukraine's losses have increased since the launch of counteroffensive. Putin told Lukashenko that Ukraine's irrecoverable losses have exceeded 26,000 people.

During the meeting, Putin told Lukashenko that he would expose foreign mercenaries fighting for Ukraine. Putin said he would brief the Western public about the losses among mercenaries from countries fighting on the Ukrainian side. “As for foreign mercenaries, they also suffer significant losses; because of their stupidity," TASS agency quoted Putin as saying.

"The public in the countries whose governments are sending people to the war zone today should also know what is happening there. And we will bring this to the people so that they can judge the actions of their rulers," Putin was quoted as saying.