Current:Home > InvestUkraine's counteroffensive against Russia appears to be in opening phases -TradeCircle
Ukraine's counteroffensive against Russia appears to be in opening phases
View
Date:2025-04-22 01:54:05
An increase in operations in eastern and southeastern Ukraine in recent days appears to signal the opening phases of Ukraine's expected counteroffensive against Russia are underway, but the main push has not yet begun, according to U.S. officials.
A Western official told reporters Tuesday that Ukrainian forces are conducting operations around Bakhmut and south of Donetsk city, and the activity south of Donetsk appears to be a new effort.
Ukraine has kept quiet about how its counteroffensive might start. Over the weekend, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry released a video with soldiers holding fingers to their lips in a "shh" gesture, accompanied by text that read, "Plans love silence. There will be no announcement of the beginning."
Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Malyar said Monday that part of defending Ukrainian territory includes conducting "counteroffensive actions," but downplayed Russian claims that the broader counteroffensive had begun. She noted Ukrainian advances in villages near Bakhmut and said Ukrainian forces now have the high ground near the symbolic city.
The U.S. and allies have trained Ukrainian forces for months in combined arms maneuvers for the counteroffensive. The training produced nine additional armored and mechanized Ukrainian brigades that are in Ukraine now and three more brigades that are currently training in Germany.
Videos on social media of activity in Ukraine do not appear to show western equipment, like the Bradley or Stryker armored vehicles that would likely be a part of these American-trained brigades and could signal that the main thrust of the counteroffensive has begun.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told reporters traveling with him over the weekend that "there will be stops and starts" to Ukraine's counteroffensive, but the Ukrainians are well-prepared.
The destruction of the Kakhova Dam near Zaporizhia may hinder Ukraine's counteroffensive, making it difficult to conduct bridging operations and causing the evacuation of thousands of residents in the flood zone.
- In:
- Ukraine
CBS News reporter covering the Pentagon.
TwitterveryGood! (15)
Related
- Don't let hackers fool you with a 'scam
- New Trump Nuclear Plan Favors Uranium Mining Bordering the Grand Canyon
- Daniel Day-Lewis Looks Unrecognizable in First Public Sighting in 4 Years
- A deadly disease so neglected it's not even on the list of neglected tropical diseases
- Bodycam footage shows high
- Why do some people get UTIs over and over? A new report holds clues
- Check Out the Most Surprising Celeb Transformations of the Week
- Q&A: Plug-In Leader Discusses Ups and Downs of America’s E.V. Transformation
- Federal Spending Freeze Could Have Widespread Impact on Environment, Emergency Management
- Grief and tangled politics were at the heart of Kentucky's fight over new trans law
Ranking
- IRS recovers $4.7 billion in back taxes and braces for cuts with Trump and GOP in power
- A Young Farmer Confronts Climate Change—and a Pandemic
- At a Nashville hospital, the agony of not being able to help school shooting victims
- Why Vanderpump Rules' Lala Kent and Scheana Shay's Bond Over Motherhood Is as Good as Gold
- Romantasy reigns on spicy BookTok: Recommendations from the internet’s favorite genre
- In a supreme court race like no other, Wisconsin's political future is up for grabs
- How to Get Rid of a Pimple Fast: 10 Holy Grail Solutions That Work in Hours
- Clinics offering abortions face a rise in threats, violence and legal battles
Recommendation
Head of the Federal Aviation Administration to resign, allowing Trump to pick his successor
Bill Barr condemns alleged Trump conduct, but says I don't like the idea of a former president serving time
Documents in abortion pill lawsuit raise questions about ex-husband's claims
Inmate dies after escape attempt in New Mexico, authorities say
Former Syrian official arrested in California who oversaw prison charged with torture
What will AI mean for the popular app Be My Eyes?
Can Planting a Trillion Trees Stop Climate Change? Scientists Say it’s a Lot More Complicated
The dream of wiping out polio might need a rethink