Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Ukraine has ‘good chance’ to retake territory, U.S. assesses

Ukraine has ‘good chance’ to retake territory, U.S. assesses

Ukrainian officials announced the operation to liberate Russian-occupied territories in the country’s south on Monday, following weeks of counterattacks on towns in the Kherson region.

The U.S. has assessed that Ukraine has a “good chance” to retake territory that Russia captured in its initial invasion, after Kyiv on Monday launched a counteroffensive, according to two Defense Department officials.

Ukrainian forces have taken out “most” of the bridges crossing the Dnipro River using U.S.-supplied High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems and other weapons, said the officials, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive operation. The bridges serve as a crucial route to resupply Russian troops stationed to the west of the river, which are now at risk of being cut off from the rest of Moscow’s occupying forces.

Destroying the bridges is part of Kyiv’s operation to prepare the battlefield for the counteroffensive, the officials said, noting that Ukrainian forces are also attacking logistics, command posts and airfields ahead of the operation.

The goal of this phase of the counteroffensive is to cut Russian forces off at the river and force them to surrender the city of Kherson, they said. At this point, crossing the river would be “very tough to do,” one of the officials said.

Ukrainian officials announced the operation to liberate Russian-occupied territories in the country’s south on Monday, following weeks of counterattacks on towns in the Kherson region. Ukraine’s armed forces claimed that they had breached Russia’s “first line of defense” near Kherson.

The U.S. is supporting the counteroffensive with visual intelligence about the battlefield from satellites and advice on how best to use weapon systems, one of the officials said.



John Kirby, a spokesperson for the National Security Council, would not confirm the counteroffensive has begun and referred questions to the Ukrainian Armed Forces. But he stressed that Kyiv has been conducting a more “localized” counteroffensive for weeks.

“The idea of going on the offense is not new to the Ukrainians, and they have been taking the fight to the Russians inside their country,” Kirby said, noting that the HIMARS, in particular, has made a significant difference in the fight.

The system, along with precision-guided rockets, has allowed Ukraine to strike behind Russian lines and pushed Moscow into defensive positions, Kirby said.

The conflict has offered the U.S. the rare opportunity to assess the HIMARS capability, and that of Russian defenses in action, one of the DoD officials said. U.S. officials are “a little surprised” at how well the HIMARS is performing — and by how poorly Russian defensive capabilities have fared against the attacks, the person said.

“The Ukrainians are doing very well at what they are doing with them and how they are employing them, but we are also learning that they are able to get through a lot of Russian systems,” the person said.

The next question, one of the DoD officials said, is whether Russian forces decide to surrender the captured territory in the south or reposition units from the fight in the east.

Kirby said Moscow has already had to pull resources from the fight in the Donbas, where Russia has concentrated most of its forces, due to reports that Ukraine might be going on the offensive in the south.

“They’ve had to deplete units from certain areas in the east and in the Donbas to respond to what they clearly believe was a looming threat of a counteroffensive,” Kirby said. “From a strategic perspective, it has already had an effect on Russian military capability inside Ukraine.”

Upriver from Kherson, a team from the United Nations nuclear watchdog is expected to inspect the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, which was captured by Russian forces in March and has become a dangerous frontline in the conflict.

Russia has “essentially militarized” the power plant, which is still manned by Ukrainians, by stationing weapons and soldiers there, Kirby said.

“We continue to believe that a controlled shutdown of Zaporizhzhia nuclear reactors would be the safest and least risky option in the near term, “Kirby said.

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Hungary Ranked Among the World’s Safest Travel Destinations for 2025
G7 Leaders Fail to Reach Consensus on Key Global Issues
FBI and Senate Investigate Allegations of Chinese Plot to Influence the 2020 Election in Biden’s Favor Using Fake U.S. Driver’s Licenses
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Shock Within Iran’s Leadership: Khamenei’s Failed Plan to Launch 1,000 Missiles Against Israel
Wreck of $17 Billion San José Galleon Identified Off Colombia After 300 Years
Man Convicted of Fraud After Booking Over 120 Free Flights Posing as Flight Attendant
Iran Launches Extensive Missile Attack on Israel Following Israeli Strikes on Nuclear Sites
Beata Thunberg Rebrands as Beata Ernman Amidst Sister's Activism Controversy
Hungarian Parliament Approves Citizenship Suspension Law
Prime Minister Orbán Criticizes EU's Ukraine Accession Plans
Hungarian Delicacies Introduced to Japanese Market
Hungary's Industrial Output Rises Amid Battery Sector Slump
President Sulyok Celebrates 15 Years of Hungarian Unity Efforts
Hungary's Szeleczki Shines at World Judo Championships
Visegrád Construction Trends Diverge as Hungary Lags
Hungary Hosts National Quantum Technology Workshop
Hungarian Animation Featured at Annecy Festival
Israel Issues Ultimatum to Iran Over Potential Retaliation and Nuclear Facilities
UK and EU Reach New Economic Agreement
Coinbase CEO Warns Bitcoin Could Supplant US Dollar Amid Mounting National Debt
Trump to Iran: Make a Deal — Sign or Die
Operation "Like a Lion": Israel Strikes Iran in Unprecedented Offensive
Israel Launches 'Operation Rising Lion' Targeting Iranian Nuclear and Military Sites
UK and EU Reach Agreement on Gibraltar's Schengen Integration
Israeli Finance Minister Imposes Banking Penalties on Palestinians
U.S. Inflation Rises to 2.4% in May Amid Trade Tensions
Trump's Policies Prompt Decline in Chinese Student Enrollment in U.S.
Global Oceans Near Record Temperatures as CO₂ Levels Climb
Trump Announces U.S.-China Trade Deal Covering Rare Earths
Smuggled U.S. Fuel Funds Mexican Cartels Amid Crackdown
Austrian School Shooting Leaves Nine Dead in Graz
Bezos's Lavish Venice Wedding Sparks Local Protests
Europe Prepares for Historic Lunar Rover Landing
Italian Parents Seek Therapy Amid Lengthy School Holidays
British Fishing Vessel Seized by France Fined €30,000
Dutch Government Collapses Amid Migration Policy Dispute
UK Commits to 3.5% GDP Defence Spending Under NATO Pressure
Germany Moves to Expedite Migrant Deportations
US Urges UK to Raise Defence Spending to 5% of GDP
Israeli Forces Intercept Gaza-Bound Aid Vessel Carrying Greta Thunberg
IMF Warns of Severe Global Trade War Impacts on Emerging Markets
Low Turnout Jeopardizes Italy's Citizenship Reform Referendum
Transatlantic Interest Rate Divergence Widens as Trump Pressures Powell
EU Lawmaker Calls for Broader Exemptions in Supply Chain Legislation
France's Defense Spending Plans Threatened by High National Debt
European Small-Cap Stocks Outperform U.S. Rivals Amid Growth Revival
Switzerland Proposes $26 Billion Capital Increase for UBS
×