We are following several developments in Russia's war on Ukraine.
Six people were killed and eight wounded by Russian strikes in eastern Ukraine.
And that is according to regional military officials and Ukraine says 21 people have been injured by Russian strikes on Odessa.
Over the past five days.
Russia launched a wave of attacks against the southern port city.
The strikes proved to be too much for Ukraine's air defenses.
Its forces destroyed just five of 19 Russian cruise missiles fired overnight Wednesday and Thursday.
The Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelinsky blasted Russia over the attacks in Odessa and elsewhere and Zelinsky has an explanation for why Ukraine's counter offensive got off to a slow start.
CNN reporter Nada Bashir joins us now live.
So what is President Zalenski saying about the Ukraine offensive?
Well, look, we've heard that assessment that the counter offensive is not going as quickly as many would have hoped for weeks.
Now, from Ukraine's Western allies, we've heard it from Ukrainian officials.
Now, President Zelinsky acknowledging that the counter offensive simply isn't going as quickly that the territorial gains aren't as substantial as many would have anticipated.
He says this is because the counter offensive couldn't start as early as they had planned because of lack of the lack of ammunition, a lack of armament and crucially a lack of adequate training at the time.
However, he does maintain that the counter offensive is making good progress despite the setbacks that we have seen over recent days and weeks.
And in fact, we heard earlier in the week from top us General Mark Milley who said that the counter offensive while it has gone slower than expected is far from a failure in his words and that it is simply too early to tell too early to call at this stage.
But of course, there are numerous attacks ongoing in the eastern region, setbacks for the Ukrainian armed forces.
A key priority according to President Zelensky at this stage.
Now is in his words, neutralizing the Kurd bridge, the bridge which connects Russia to Crimea.
Take a listen.
The objective is to reclaim all of Crimea because it is our sovereign territory, an unalienable part of our nation and the Crimean Bridge.
This is not just a logistical road, this is the road used to feed the war.
So understandably this is our objective.
Any objective that is bringing war, not peace has to be neutralized.
Now, of course, this comes as Russia really doubles down its bombardment of the eastern Ukrainian region.
We've heard from President Zelensky reiterating this really the objective here is aiming to disrupt the resupply of ammunitions and armor to Russia troops, Russian troops on the eastern front lines.
And as you mentioned, there, we've seen the bombardment over the last few days really intensify at least six people killed on Friday as Russia launched a spate of attacks on the Donetsk region.
Now, of course, for the last five days, we have seen rounds and rounds of attacks on the port city of Odes and this is a real concern.
Now, of course, at least 21 people injured, but there has also been significant infrastructural damage to the port infrastructure in Odes.
And this comes just days after Russia withdrew from the landmark Black Sea Grain initiative deal.
There is a real fear now from the international community that we will continue to see those attacks on port infrastructure along Ukraine's Black Sea port.
And particularly, of course, this is a concern because of the deep fear that we could see ourselves in another global food security crisis as we saw this time last year ahead of the signing of the Black Sea Grain deal.
Yeah, a lot of concern about the interruption of the grain exports from Ukraine.
Appreciate your reporting, Nada Bashir.
Thank you.
Let's get some insight now on the developments there in Ukraine CNN military analyst, Colonel Cedric Leighton joining us this morning.
Good morning to you.
Colonel.
So we heard Putin on Friday say that none of the help from the West has been helping in the counter offensive.
President Slansky as you heard seemingly blaming the West for, you know, having to wait for these weapons to begin the counter offensive.
What are your thoughts on why it's not going as well as hoped?
Well, good morning am.
Right. In many ways, President Zelinsky is right the way in which the counteroffensive was unveiled and the way it rolled out, it's pretty clear that, you know, number one, there should have been more secrecy.
Uh, number two, you know, everything that Zelinsky mentioned from training to weapons supplies, to uh movement of troops, all of that, it should have been done in a much more concerted fashion, a much more synchronized fashion.
And the fact that it wasn't, you know, really points to the late start and the fact things are in essence slow going.
We gave the what the Ukrainians gave the Russians uh 67 months of extra time and they used that time to dig in and, and the fact that they dug in used mines and in essence, created this vast minefield throughout a large portion of Ukraine about the size of Florida that really creates a real problem for any advancing forces and it would be very difficult for any army to get through something like this.
So what's remarkable is the fact that the Ukrainians have been able to hold on to this point and make few advances.
They're not very great in terms of territory, but they are certainly not losses of territory.
How do you explain what's happening in Odessa and Ukraine's struggle to repel this wave of Russian strikes?
Is it because Ukraine just doesn't have a robust amount of air defenses, is it because the Russian strikes are just coming too fast and too heavy?
Well, basically it's the air defense problem, Ara, and the fact is that because of limited resources, only two patriot missile systems, for example, were delivered to Ukraine and one came from Germany, the other from the United States.
And they were basically used to cover Kiev, which is of course the target.
So the Russians naturally move their efforts to places where they can make a difference from their point of view.
And Odes a prime target, given the situation with the Black Sea Grain deal and the fact that the Russians have always wanted to cut Ukraine off from the sea.
This is the perfect target for them.
So at least one extra, preferably two extra Patriot batteries and other systems like MT those types of systems could very well be in place in Odessa and would have been very helpful.
Have them?
No question about it.
What kind of impact do you see?
I mean, I guess Ukraine has just started firing some of the cluster munitions that were provided by the US.
And as we know that was quite controversial, but do you see it changing the dynamic on the battlefield, maybe in a tactical sense, in localized areas?
I don't think they have a large number of cluster munitions, although they were delivered very, very quickly, but the Ukrainians are employing them, they're beginning to employ them and it remains to be seen exactly how effective they're going to be.
But I believe they'll be more effective in a tactical sense, which could mean that there might localized gains in those areas.
Those cluster munitions came about because of munition shortages in standard weapons systems.
And that's the problem that Ukraine is going to be dealing with for as long as this conflict lasts.
And not only Ukraine's problem, it's also the West's problem.
And it's a symptom of the lack of an industrial base that can keep pace with this kind of a war.
This kind of a war was not expected.
And that really is, I think kind of the problem that we're dealing with right now.
War is all, you know, full of a few surprises here and there.
And this is one of them, I think for the military planners both in Ukraine as well as in the West before we go.
Colonel.
I I do want to ask you about Wagner's Chief Yevgeni Perro and some comments that were made by the CIA Chief William Burns.
He was speaking at the Aspen security forum on Thursday and he basically said that he does predict and expect Putin will seek revenge or pro will face retribution for his short lived attempted mutiny.
What is your sense of that.
And what do you think the calculus might be behind Putin?
Yes. So I think the, you know, certainly Prego is at risk.
There's no question about it.
And what Director burns mentioned is, you know, I think a highly likely scenario, Pergo got away with a lot during this.
He also showed that Putin was weak in many respects.
Putin in essence, had to make a deal with him.
There's a lot that the group and Pergo bring to the table in the form of access to access to all kinds of weapons systems and frankly, a fairly good fighting force, at least in the Ukrainian theater.
So that becomes something that the Russians need.
And when Putin finds the right moment, he is going to find a way in which he can sideline and perhaps do more against Prego.
And that of course, would be something that would be very dangerous for Prego in a very dangerous time, I think for Russia at large.
Yeah.
Uh I can't imagine Pergo is sleeping well at night in Belarus.
I appreciate your time.
Colonel Cedric Leon.
Thank you.