Ukraine is set to launch its highly anticipated counter-offensive against Russian forces, according to one of the country’s top security officials in an exclusive interview with the BBC.
The Secretary of the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine, Oleksiy Danilov, refrained from specifying a precise date but indicated that the assault to reclaim territories from President Vladimir Putin’s occupying forces could commence “tomorrow, the day after tomorrow or in a week.”
Danilov underscored the gravity of the decision, emphasizing that Ukraine’s government cannot afford to make any mistakes as this represents a historic opportunity that they simply cannot let slip away.
As a key member of President Volodymyr Zelensky’s de facto war cabinet, Danilov’s interview was briefly interrupted by a phone message from Zelensky himself, summoning him to a meeting to discuss the upcoming counter-offensive.
During the conversation, Danilov confirmed the withdrawal of certain Wagner mercenary forces from the city of Bakhmut, which had witnessed the bloodiest battle of the war thus far.
However, he cautioned that these mercenaries were regrouping in three other locations and reiterated their determination to continue the fight.
Addressing Russia’s deployment of nuclear weapons in Belarus, Danilov appeared unfazed, stating, “To us, it’s not some kind of news.”
Ukraine has meticulously planned the counter-offensive over several months, using the time to train troops and acquire military equipment from Western allies. Meanwhile, Russian forces have fortified their defenses in preparation.
The stakes are high, as Kyiv’s government needs to demonstrate to both the Ukrainian people and Western allies that it can break through Russian lines, resolve the military impasse, and reclaim its sovereign territory.
Danilov asserted that the armed forces would initiate the assault at the optimal moment determined by commanders to achieve the best results in the ongoing war.
When asked about the readiness of Ukrainian armed forces for the offensive, he confidently replied, “”We are always ready. The same as we were ready to defend our country at any time. And it is not a question of time.
“We have to understand that that historic opportunity that is given to us – by God – to our country we cannot lose, so we can truly become an independent, big European country.”
He added: “It could happen tomorrow, the day after tomorrow or in a week.
Danilov refrained from disclosing specific dates, stating, “It would be weird if I were to name dates of the start of that or those events. That cannot be done… We have a very responsible task before our country. And we understand that we have no right to make a mistake.”
Dispelling notions that the counter-offensive had already commenced, Danilov clarified that Ukrainian armed forces have been engaged in demolishing Russian control centers and military equipment since February 24 of the previous year, the day of Russia’s invasion.
“We have no days off during this war,” he declared.
In defense of the Ukrainian army’s prolonged fight in Bakhmut, which has claimed the lives of numerous soldiers, Danilov affirmed, “Bakhmut is our land, our territory, and we must defend it… If we start leaving every settlement, that could get us to our western border as Putin wanted from the first days of the war.”
He added, “we control only a small part of the city, and we admit to that. But you have to keep in mind that Bakhmut has played a big role in this war.”
Regarding the departure of Wagner mercenaries, Danilov confirmed their exit from the area, but cautioned that it does not imply an end to their involvement. Instead, they are reallocating their forces to concentrate on other fronts, regrouping in three alternative locations.
In his words; “Yes, that is happening. But it doesn’t mean that they will stop fighting with us. They are goi
