Ukrainian troops are refining their tactics and undertaking “major offensive operations” in Kyiv’s counteroffensive against Moscow, according to a new intelligence update from the United Kingdom’s Ministry of Defense.
“In recent days, Ukrainian forces have re-set and have again been undertaking major offensive operations on three main axes in southern and eastern Ukraine,” the British officials said in their assessment of the conflict.
“Ukrainian forces are using the experiences from the first two weeks of the counter-offensive to refine tactics for assaulting the deep, well prepared Russian defences. Ukrainian units are making gradual but steady tactical progress in key areas.”
Kyiv’s much-anticipated counteroffensive launched earlier this month, more than a year since Russia’s invasion, and Ukraine appeared to both make progress and take losses.
Russian forces have made a “significant effort” to launch an attack in the Serebryanka Forest in Luhansk Oblast, Sunday’s UK intelligence update said, assessing that “this probably reflects continued Russian senior leadership orders to go on the offensive whenever possible.”
“Russia has made some small gains, but Ukrainian forces have prevented a breakthrough,” the update concluded.
A British intelligence update released last week found that both sides of the fighting in Russia’s war, as Ukraine mounted the counteroffensive, were suffering high casualties.
Amid recent turmoil in Russia, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an address over the weekend that “Ukraine will definitely be able to protect Europe from any Russian forces, and it doesn’t matter who commands them.”