Pentagon: Ukraine's Success Was a Surprise Only To Russians

Ukraine's success in its counteroffensive against the Russian invasion did not surprise its allies and partners. "If anyone was surprised... it was probably the Russians," Pentagon Press Secretary Pat Ryder said on Tuesday, TURAN's Washington correspondent reports.

Western weapons and supplies played a part in the success of the counteroffensive, Ryder said. U.S. Defence Secretary Austin and other leaders continue to regularly engage with our Ukrainian counterparts.

In the counteroffensive, Ukrainian forces are using the equipment they have to great effect, and they have changed the dynamics on the battlefield, Ryder said. According to him, the Ukrainian military also has learned as the conflict has continued and it adopted the NATO battle tactics, embracing combined arms as a way of war.

The White House, in its turn, on Tuesday characterized advances by Ukrainian forces against Russia as a “shift in momentum” but cautioned that the ongoing war in Ukraine remains unpredictable.

“I think what you’re seeing is certainly a shift in momentum by the Ukrainian armed forces,” John Kirby, a spokesman for the National Security Council, told reporters at a briefing. In the meantime, he was careful not to categorize it as a sign that Ukraine had fully turned the tide roughly six months into the invasion.

As for Washington's objective on the war, State Department's spokesperson told TURAN's Washngton correspondent on Tuesday that it "has remained constant since the start of this aggression: It is to see a Ukraine that remains democratic, that remains sovereign, that remains independent, and that, going forward, is prosperous and has the means to defend itself against future aggression."

Alex Raufoglu

Washignton D.C.