US say Ukrainian counteroffensive is advancing even faster than expected - NYT

American officials told the NYT about this, Ukrainian Pravda writes.

It is noted that there are indications that the current offensive may be the early stage of an offensive that could significantly push back Russia's front line.

The NYT writes that current and former US officials have praised the sophistication of Ukrainian preparations for the counteroffensive.  The decision to advertise their counteroffensive in the south before striking in the northeast is a standard disorientation tactic used by US special forces training Ukrainians since the 2014 occupation of Crimea. Over the summer, senior Ukrainian officials stepped up intelligence sharing with their American counterparts as they began planning a counteroffensive. High-ranking US officials refused to say what details of the counteroffensive plan Ukraine had shared and how much advice the US had given. But one official said that the Americans had been constantly discussing with Kyiv how Ukraine could stop Russia's advance in the east.

The former top US military commander in Europe, Frederick Benjamin "Ben" Hodges, said the recent success indicates that Ukraine's efforts to retake land in the south and east may be progressing faster than he previously predicted, and could even set the stage for an attempt to retake Crimea next year.

Other experts agreed that the situation could change for Ukraine. Former Pentagon official and CIA officer Michael Mulroy said that the Ukrainian military's counteroffensive is advancing even faster than expected and that now is the time for the Ukrainian military to seize any opportunity to weaken and destroy Russia's military capabilities.