According to American Intelligence, Ukraine Will Not Be Able to Achieve Main Counteroffensive Goal: WP

According to American intelligence assessments, Ukraine's counteroffensive will not achieve its key objective—taking the southeastern city of Melitopol, sources familiar with classified intelligence forecasts told The Washington Post.

If this assessment proves correct, it would mean that Kyiv will be unable to fulfill its primary goal of dismantling Russia's land corridor to Crimea during the counteroffensive this year, the American publication noted.

“The bleak assessment is based on Russia's hard-earned experience defending occupied territories through minefields and trenches, which will likely lead to discussions in Kyiv and Western capitals about the reasons why the counteroffensive, for which tens of billions of dollars in Western weaponry and military equipment have been invested, has not met its objectives,” The Washington Post stated.

According to U.S. representatives, Ukrainian forces advancing towards Melitopol from Robotic are expected to remain several miles away from the city.

“Melitopol is crucial for Ukraine's counteroffensive because it is considered the gateway to Crimea. The city is situated at the intersection of two major highways and a railway branch, enabling Russia to send troops and equipment from the peninsula to other occupied areas in southern Ukraine,” the media reported.

These grim forecasts are already prompting accusations in closed congressional sessions. Some Republicans are now opposing President Biden's request for an additional $20.6 billion in aid to Ukraine, considering the modest results of the offensive.

American officials reject the criticism that F-16 fighter jets or long-range missile systems like ATACMS would yield different results. “The issue is penetrating Russia's main defensive line, and there is no evidence that these systems would be a game changer,” said a senior representative in the U.S. administration.