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The United States’ top military general, Mark Milley, said Ukrainian troops had captured 54 percent of the territory occupied by Russia. Photo/REUTERS
BERLIN – The United States (US) top military general, Mark Milley, said Ukrainian troops had reclaimed more than half of the territory occupied by Russia.
The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff or American Military Commander stressed that the war would continue throughout the winter until Russian troops were completely expelled from Ukraine.
“To date, Ukraine has liberated more than 54% of the territory occupied by Russia and they continue to maintain that strategic initiative,” General Milley said at a press conference in Germany on Tuesday, reported by Military.com, Wednesday (20/9/2023 ).
The assessment comes as more than 50 countries gather for their regular meeting—known as the Ukraine Defense Contact Group—where they decide what contributions they can make to Ukraine’s war effort against a Russian invasion.
US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin stressed that Ukraine needs more air defense systems and noted that the long-promised M1 Abrams tank would soon arrive in Kyiv.
The war in Ukraine, which began when Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an invasion in February 2022 with the aim of capturing the Ukrainian capital within days, is now approaching 600 days.
In the early days of the war, Ukraine focused largely on defending itself against invading Russian forces, but this summer, the country launched a massive counteroffensive aimed at repelling all invading forces.
“It’s not that surprising…the Ukrainian attack is proceeding a little slower than previously thought,” Milley said.
But he also said he was confident in Ukraine’s strength and their desire to capitalize on their advantages.