The main phase of the Ukrainian counteroffensive has begun, two Pentagon officials said Thursday.
According to the officials, Kyiv is now bringing thousands of soldiers who were kept in reserve to the campaign in anticipation of the possibility of breaking through Russian defenses in the occupied territories in southern Ukraine. Many of the battalions now being deployed into combat have been trained by Ukrainian supporters in the West.
The U.S. officials' comments come hours after the Russian Defense Ministry said fierce fighting had developed in Zaporizhzhia province, the southern part of which is held by Moscow. Most of the fighting took place in the area of the town of Orikhiv, about 90 km from the Sea of Azov.
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Russian occupation officials said most of the attacks had been repulsed, but so far it was unclear what the actual situation was.
According to The New York Times, Ukrainian officials told their American counterparts that the current phase should last between one and three weeks. If successful, Ukraine will try to reach the strategic city of Melitopol, where three main transport routes in southern Ukraine converge. The city is critical to the supply of Russian power in southern Ukraine. Kyiv's goal is to eventually break through to the Sea of Azov itself, thereby cutting off Russian forces in the south. "This is a big test," a senior Pentagon official told The Times.
In his daily address to the nation, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said: "The guys achieved very good results today. Details to follow."
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