Ukraine is making progress in its counteroffensive against Russia, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Monday.
Ukrainians are able to retake territory and are able to inflict damage on Russian forces, as reported by USA Today.
Ukrainian forces are reportedly advancing in the eastern Donbas region, where Russia has focused its attention since its invasion of Ukraine in February.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that his forces are now in control of about half of the city of Severodonetsk, a key strategic objective for Russia.
The Ukrainian counteroffensive has been aided by Western arms shipments, including heavy artillery and high-precision rocket systems.
Stoltenberg said that NATO is committed to providing Ukraine with the military assistance it needs to defend itself. He said that they would continue to provide Ukraine with the military assistance it needs to defend itself.
Russia's Invasion a Failure?
The Ukrainian counteroffensive is a sign that Russia's invasion is not going as planned.
The Ukrainian people have shown incredible resilience in the face of Russian aggression. They are determined to defend their country and their freedom.
The United States and its allies are committed to supporting Ukraine until it achieves victory.
The early clashes may indicate that the tens of billions of dollars spent by the U.S.-led coalition on arming and training Ukrainian soldiers in the use of Western weapons is paying off, even though it is still too early to predict the outcome against Russia's entrenched defenses.
Read also: Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping To Discuss Russia War; Ukraine Gets Help
What the Russian President Has To Say
Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia, continued to assert this week that his country's military is in the lead, claiming that "the Ukrainian troops haven't accomplished their stated tasks in a single area of fighting."
However, the Ukrainian military claimed its forces won another minor victory Monday by reclaiming the town of Storozhov in the same eastern region, giving momentum to the country's long-awaited counteroffensive. This came a day after the retaking of three villages in the Donetsk province.
Success on the battlefield for Ukraine will be crucial for NATO countries in maintaining the public support necessary to provide the consistent supply of military supplies that Stoltenberg deemed essential.
The Pentagon has given the Ukrainian military hundreds of armored personnel carriers, mine-resistant armored trucks, and Humvees for the offensive. In order to attack far behind Russian lines, Great Britain has started delivering long-range aircraft-launched missiles, while Germany has offered sophisticated Leopard tanks.
In order to cover the men in armored vehicles and on foot who would assault Russian positions, U.S. and NATO personnel have been teaching Ukrainian forces how to combine artillery fire for months.
According to a report by the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Russian troops have spent a lot of effort constructing trenches and erecting barriers along a 600-mile front to impede Ukrainian tanks and armored personnel carriers. Additionally, Russian soldiers have pointed artillery at the open, level terrain that Ukrainian troops must cross to get to the defenses.
The province of Zaporizhzhya, where some of the fiercest initial combat has occurred, boasts Russia's best defense. By breaking through this maze, Ukraine can pose a danger to Russia's primary supply routes.
Related article: Russia-Ukraine War: Russian Troops Death Toll Exceeds 130,000 in Almost One Year of Battle
