Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Friday that Russia had an advantage in long-range weapons, which made it difficult for Ukrainian troops to approach Russian forces and advance during its offensive.
"Without long-range weapons, it is not only difficult to conduct an offensive mission, it is difficult to conduct a defense operation. You're defending your land and you can't reach the appropriate distance to destroy the enemy. The enemy has a long-range advantage," Zelensky told a press conference following his meeting with Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala.
The Ukrainian president added that he was negotiating with the United States so that it would provide such weapons to Ukraine.
A number of Western media noted the weak results of Kiev's offensive, while Zelensky himself admitted that progress was "slower than desired."