We Understood That This Would Be a Tough Battle: Pentagon on Ukraine's Counteroffensive

The United States has initially understood that Ukraine's counteroffensive would be challenging; however, it believes that Kyiv has the necessary weapons, said Pentagon spokesperson deputy Sabrina Singh.

"Our assessments were quite clear from the very beginning... We understood that this would be a tough battle," she told reporters in response to a question about how Washington assesses the current outcomes of Ukraine's counteroffensive.

Singh added that Kyiv needs time, but the U.S. is confident that the Ukrainians possess the necessary capabilities to carry out the counteroffensive.

Ukraine's counteroffensive commenced on June 4 in the directions of Yuzhno-Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Artemivsk, with the main focus concentrated in the Zaporizhzhia sector of the frontline. Kyiv has deployed brigades trained by NATO experts and armed with Western equipment.

On June 13, during a meeting with military commanders, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that Ukrainian forces are suffering significant losses during the offensive and have not achieved success in any direction.