On 1 March, Dmytro Kuleba, Ukraine’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, stated that Ukraine prevailed over Russian winter terror, and spoke on five defeats of the aggressor country. 

"On 1 March 2023, Putin has suffered his fifth defeat since the beginning of the full-scale invasion – Ukraine has prevailed over his winter terror. We have withstood the most severe winter in our history. We were surrounded by cold and darkness, but we were unbreakable," the minister wrote on his Facebook page.

He also noted that Ukraine was supported by its partners and this is a victory for the EU too, as "despite Russian gloating, [the EU – ed.] also survived without Russian gas." 

He listed the other four defeats of the Russian Federation since the beginning of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

"The first defeat took place when from the very first minutes of the war we didn’t let Putin fetter us with fear. The second, when we thwarted their blitzkrieg plan. Ukraine has not fallen, not in three days, not in seven months, and not even in a year. And it will never fall. The third blow was struck upon Russia on the diplomatic front: international coalition supporting Ukraine, resolutions, isolation, the flow of weaponry, sanctions, energy, financial and humanitarian aid to Ukraine. Fourth defeat – the loss of a big chunk of occupied territories of Ukraine due to effective advances and counter-offensives by the Armed Forces of Ukraine and other parts of Defence Forces," Kuleba stated. 

He noted that there is still a long way to go to victory, yet "we already know how it is to win". 

As reported earlier, the United States of America does not expect significant territorial gains for Russia in the foreseeable future. 

Italian intelligence suggests that Russia needs an operational pause in order to get ready for a long-lasting war in the circumstances of Western sanctions.