Ukraine's counter-offensive far from failure, a lot of fighting left to go – US General Milley

General Mark Milley, US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, is convinced that the counter-offensive of the Armed Forces of Ukraine is far from failure, noting that the real situation is different from what is laid out on paper.

Source: Voice of America, citing a joint briefing by Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Army General Mark Milley

Milley Quote: "It (the counter-offensive – ed.) is far from a failure, in my view. I think it is way too early to make that kind of call. I think there is a lot of fighting left to go." 

Details: According to him, the counter-offensive may go slower than analysts assumed when they considered possible scenarios, indicating that reality is different from theory.

"There is a difference between a war on paper and real war. These are real people in real machines who are clearing real minefields and are really dying. So when that happens, units tend to slow down. And that’s rightly so, in order to survive, in order to get through these  minefields. So they’re working their way through it," Milley stated. 

He added that the Armed Forces of Ukraine are in the position to use additional combat capabilities. "What the Ukrainians have, though, is a significant amount of combat power not yet committed. And I will not yet say what is going to happen in the future, because it is going to be a Ukrainian decision as to when and where they commit their reserves, etc. Right now they are preserving their combat power and they are slowly, deliberately and steadily working their way through all these minefields. And it is a tough fight, it is a very difficult fight," the general emphasised. 

Austin, in turn, emphasised the unity and determination of the allies to help Ukraine. "We are going to continue to generate combat power. We are going to continue to push in additional Bradley fighting vehicles, and also Strykers, and artillery pieces…Our work continues, and we are going to do everything we can to make sure that Ukrainians are going to be successful," he stressed. 

Earlier: On 16 July, The Institute for the Study of War reported that the Ukrainian military has adjusted its counter-offensive strategy to minimise losses and continue to strike at Russian troops.

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