Moscow, Russian Defense Minister, Sergei Shoigu, said Tuesday that the Russian army has achieved the main goal of the special military operation in Ukraine for 2023, thwarting the Kiev regime counter-offensive. 'The success of the Russian army in accomplishing the tasks came through many specific factors, including the establishment of an effective system of defensive lines, the high combat capacity of all units and sub-formations, the reliability and effectiveness of Russian military equipment, and the skillful and decisive actions of the homeland defenders,' Shoigu said during a meeting of the Ministry of Defense leadership cadres via video technology. He pointed out to the unprecedented support provided by the Russian people to the armed forces, which helped them take the initiative on the combat line of contact with the enemy. Shoigu recently announced that Ukrainian forces lost more than 125,000 soldiers and 16,000 weapon equipment during 6- month the counterattack. Source: Syrian Arab News Agency