We have a serious chance of making a breakthrough during the summer, said Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov in an interview with the French daily "West-France".

- We want to break the will of the Russians to win the war, Reznikov said, stressing that the goal of the counteroffensive is for Ukraine to return its territories "to the internationally recognized borders of 1991, including Crimea."

A large-scale counter-offensive "will lead to a new withdrawal of the Russians from our territories", predicted the Ukrainian minister.

"(Russian private military company) Wagner used prisoners and during the eight-month siege of Bakhmut, 60.000 people were killed and wounded," Reznikov told the French newspaper, without specifying whether it was the total losses of the two camps or not.

In the interview, the Ukrainian Minister of Defense also emphasizes that Ukraine urgently needs weapons from its Western allies.

Reznikov also expressed hope that "by the end of the year" Kiev will receive American-made F-16 fighter jets, with the help of which the Ukrainian forces will be able to oppose the Russian aviation.