MOSCOW

Amid claims that Kyiv's much-anticipated counteroffensive has failed, Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoygu said on Tuesday that Ukraine's combat capability has been decreasing.

Speaking at this year's first meeting of Russian military chiefs in Moscow, Shoygu said the Ukrainian army suffered heavy human losses, along with 28,000 pieces of military equipment.

"We maintain a strategic initiative along the entire line of contact. Despite heavy human losses of the Ukrainian units and the lack of results on the battlefield, the US is coolly trying to maintain its ambitions for world leadership at the expense of the lives of Ukrainians," he said.

The minister said the Ukrainian authorities "continue to drive its soldiers to slaughter" at the West's order.

Shoygu emphasized that mobilizing more people would not change the situation on the battlefield, and would only protract the conflict.

"We will continue to consistently achieve the goal of a special military operation," he pledged.

Russia started its "special military operation" in Ukraine in February 2023.

Shoygu also said maintaining the high combat capability of Russia's nuclear triad -- air, navy and ground forces operating nuclear weapons -- was a priority.