On September 5th, during a meeting with other military leaders, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu claimed that Ukrainian forces had lost more than 66,000 troops and 7,600 heavy weapons since the counteroffensive's start on June 4th. Shoigu also claimed that “despite the colossal cost in manpower and equipment, the Ukrainian government continues its operation because it desperately needs to show some kind of success to its Western sponsors. Shoigu also made the claim that “in no area did the Armed Forces of Ukraine achieve their goals."