Ukraine's Offensive Struggles Against Russian Threats

The U.S. intelligence community predicts that Ukraine's counteroffensive will fail to reach the southeastern city of Melitopol, a key objective in severing Russia's land bridge to Crimea. The assessment is based on Russia's effective defense tactics, including minefields and trenches. Despite receiving significant Western military support, Ukraine has suffered major casualties and has been unable to breach Russia's main defensive line. The slow progress has prompted criticism and a blame game among politicians. While Ukraine remains committed to the counteroffensive, analysts agree that Russia's strong defenses and the challenges of mine-clearing have hindered Ukraine's advances.