Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba sharply reprimanded Western officials who have criticized the slow pace of Kyiv's push against Russian forces.
"Criticizing the slow pace of [the] counteroffensive equals ... spitting into the face of [the] Ukrainian soldier who sacrifices his life every day, moving forward and liberating one kilometer of Ukrainian soil after another," Kuleba told reporters on Thursday at a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Spain.
"I would recommend all critics to shut up, come to Ukraine and try to liberate one square centimeter by themselves," he added.
The comments come after officials in the US and other Western allies of Ukraine were quoted in several media reports as saying Kyiv's forces aren't making as much progress as expected.
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Some of the officials, who were quoted in the New York Times, Washington Post and other outlets, said Ukraine was concentrating its forces in the wrong places.
Ukraine launched its much-anticipated counteroffensive against Russian forces three months ago.
Since then, Kyiv's forces have retaken some villages in occupied areas of eastern Ukraine.
Ukraine's military commanders say the slow pace is a purposeful strategy, aimed at weakening Russia's logistics and defenses ahead of a future larger attack.