U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that while Ukraine has reconquered half the territory that Russia initially seized in its invasion, Kyiv faced a "a very hard fight" to win back more.

WASHINGTON, July 23 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that while Ukraine has reconquered half the territory that Russia initially seized in its invasion, Kyiv faced a “a very hard fight” to win back more.

“It’s already taken back about 50% of what was initially seized,” Blinken said in an interview to CNN on Sunday.

“These are still relatively early days of the counteroffensive. It is tough,” he said, adding: “It will not play out over the next week or two. We’re still looking I think at several months.”

Hopes that Ukraine could quickly clear Moscow’s forces from its territory following the launch of a summer counteroffensive are fading as Kyiv’s troops struggle to breach heavily entrenched Russian positions in the country’s south and east.

Late last month President Volodymyr Zelenskiy was quoted as saying that progress against Russian forces was “slower than desired” but that Kyiv would not be pressured into speeding it up.

  • SCB@lemmy.worldEnglish
    24·
    1 year ago

    It’s less that I don’t believe you (or can’t click links) and more that I doubt, severely, Russia’s ability to employ said armor to any degree of effectiveness.

      • SCB@lemmy.worldEnglish
        13·
        1 year ago

        I’m much more of a libdem than a Tory , and wavering battle lines do not an offensive make. Can’t hold territory if you can’t resupply.

        • Lenins2ndCat@lemmy.worldEnglish
          52·
          1 year ago

          I’m much more of a libdem than a Tory

          Biden is to the right of the tories lmao.

          With that said, you do seem like a Nick Clegg kinda person. He runs meta as Zuckerberg’s equal these days lmao. Lib dems.

          and wavering battle lines do not an offensive make. Can’t hold territory if you can’t resupply.

          Yeah that’s fair. But what’s happening is the biggest movement we’ve seen in months, and the numbers flying around (build has been since february) are fine. Like I’ve said elsewhere though I also think it’s possible this offensive will get bogged down in cluster bombs. We shall see.

          At least we’re not in the “you’re talking bullshit” headspace now. You at least understand I’m not just making shit up.

          • SCB@lemmy.worldEnglish
            24·
            1 year ago

            I’ve never thought you were making shit up (except “Biden is right of Tories” lmao). I said your conclusions were wrong.

            • Lenins2ndCat@lemmy.worldEnglish
              42·
              1 year ago

              He’s a bigger warmonger, a bigger strikebreaker, doesn’t want universal free at point of service healthcare, starts more wars, and keeps more children in cages. Although with our new prison boat they’re certainly trying to catch up.

              I’m fairly confident Biden would be fine if I was shot for climbing on a weapons factory roof and smashing the building up, that or guantanamo’d. We do it on the regular and far from getting shot we don’t even get prosecuted. Been doing it to Elbit factories that make weapons for Israel for over a year and a half now without a single prosecution.

              I think a fairly good litmus test for “who is further right” is to check which one of them would disappear me to a blacksite for being an effective leftist, and that isn’t the tories I’m afraid mate. America has marched incredibly far right. It has no left, not electorally anyway, local wins excluded.

              • SCB@lemmy.worldEnglish
                24·
                1 year ago

                Lmao well at least you admitted you’re crazy so we can stop talking

                • Lenins2ndCat@lemmy.worldEnglish
                  41·
                  1 year ago

                  Is it crazy if we’ve permanently shut down 3 factories and an office? It’s been working and will continue until every single Israeli weapons factory in Britain is gone.

                  Smashing shit gets the goods mate.

    • Lenins2ndCat@lemmy.worldEnglish
      3·
      1 year ago

      The effectiveness of the armour entirely depends on how many Javelins Ukraine have left in my opinion. These were causing the bulk of Russian losses. The way this has been dragged on and delayed and delayed and delayed could imply that the Russians have been aiming to deplete the supplies and munitions that the Ukrainians have in order to make an offensive viable. The west doesn’t really have much left of this shit to give them either without taking it literally out of the hands of active units. Western manufacturing is not keeping up with the rate at which things are getting used.

      I’m not ruling out that their offensive will go as badly as the Ukrainian one. It really depends on what they have left, how many weapons supply dumps the Russians have been managing to destroy with those regular missile attacks, etc etc.

      • chowder@lemmy.oneEnglish
        12·
        1 year ago

        > These were causing the bulk of Russian losses.

        No, it’s mines and artillery.

        > deplete the supplies and munitions that the Ukrainians have in order to make an offensive

        Dude this started out with Ukrainians making molotovs. Now they are getting shipments of Bradleys and multiple types of tanks. The west is capable of sustaining Ukraines ammo needs for a while. The US has already went from producing 14k shells a month to 24 with the goal of 85k a month by 2028. That’s just the US, now factor in all the European countries doing the same.

        You need to stop listening to whatever sources you are reading.