NATO Secretary General comments on Ukraine's counteroffensive success: Ukrainians exceeded expectations again

This was stated by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, CNN reports.

In an interview, the NATO Secretary General gave a positive assessment of the Ukrainian army's counteroffensive and, in this context, emphasized the importance of partner and allied countries supporting Ukraine.

"The Ukrainians are gradually gaining ground, meaning that they are pushing back the Russians, and they are able to break through some of these heavily defended territories, particularly because of the minefields," he said.

Stoltenberg also drew attention to the heavy fighting on the frontlines, while the Ukrainians are "making progress, which is gaining momentum" on their difficult path to victory.

He also disagreed with the critical assessments of some Western military and experts about the slow pace of the Ukrainian Defense Forces' advance in this campaign, adding that there is "a constant dialogue between NATO allies and the Ukrainian side."

"What we have seen is that Ukrainians have exceeded expectations again and again, and we have to remember where the whole thing started last year with the full-fledged invasion by Russia into Ukraine. Then experts believed that Ukraine would only last for a few days or a few weeks. Now they have liberated the north, around Kyiv, the east, around Kharkiv, the territory in the south - Kherson. And now they are making even more gains," Stoltenberg said.

Ukrainian Armed Forces counteroffensive in the south

On June 12, Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Myliar said that the Ukrainian Armed Forces had liberated 7 settlements and advanced 6.5 kilometers.

Later, Ukraine's MoD officially confirmed the liberation of the village of Pyatikhatky in Zaporizhzhia region. Units in the Tavria sector advanced up to 7 km.

On June 24, the Ukrainian Defense Forces confirmed the recaptured territories near Krasnohorivka in the Donetsk region, which had been under Russian control since 2014.

Later it became known that the Ukrainian Armed Forces had de-occupied the village of Rivnopil, Donetsk region. It is located in the Volnovakha district of the Donetsk region. The Russian army occupied the village in March 2022.

On July 5, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy established ten military administrations in the Zaporizhzhia region and appointed their heads.

On July 27, the 35th Separate Marine Brigade, together with the 129th Brigade of the Arei Tank Corps, liberated the village of Staromayorske in the Donetsk region.

On July 31, it was reported that during the counteroffensive, the Ukrainian military had liberated more than 204 square kilometers of territory in the south.

On August 4, Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Myliar said that the Defense Forces had already broken through the first line of defense in the south and moved to the intermediate line.

On August 16, Maliar reported that the Ukrainian military had completely liberated Urozhayne in the Donetsk region. Defense forces are consolidating their positions.

On August 17, the General Staff reported that Ukrainian troops had succeeded near Urozhayne. Later it became known that the enemy tried to regain the lost position near the settlement in the Donetsk region, but to no avail.

On August 19, British intelligence said that the Defense Forces continued to advance along the Mokri Yaly River in the Donetsk region.

Ukrainian forces advanced north of Robotyne in the western Zaporizhzhia region. According to ISW analysts, this will allow the Ukrainian army to launch an offensive in less mined areas of the Russian defense line and help Ukraine reach the goal faster.

On August 23, the General Staff reported that the Defense Forces were gaining ground on the borders of Novodanylivka and Novoprokopivka in the Zaporizhzhia region.

On August 27, the spokesperson for the Tavria Defense Forces press center, Oleksandr Stupun, said that the Ukrainian Armed Forces were advancing south of Robotyne in Zaporizhzhia region to the village of Novoprokopivka.

On August 28, Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Malliar said that the Ukrainian military had officially liberated the village of Robotyne.

On August 29, the General Staff reported that the Ukrainian Armed Forces had succeeded in the direction of Novodanylivka-Verbove in the Zaporizhzhia region.

On August 30, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba spoke in France about the success of the Ukrainian counteroffensive in the village of Robotyne, Zaporizhzhia region.