Ukraine needs more time to prepare counter-offensive – Zelenskyy

Ukrainian troops are preparing a counter-offensive (Andrew Kravchenko/AP)

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said his country’s military needs more time to prepare a counter-offensive aimed at pushing back Russian occupying forces.

Mr Zelenskyy said in an interview broadcast on Thursday by the BBC that it would be “unacceptable” to launch the assault now because too many lives would be lost.