A senior military official said on Monday that the Russian military had “largely relinquished its gains” around Ukraine’s second-largest city and had “withdrawn to the north and east”, adding that “many of these forces have moved beyond ​​from the border with Russia “. The Pentagon’s assessment comes as US officials expressed cautious optimism about the Ukrainian counteroffensive, while cautioning that the rapid advances had not yet fundamentally changed the near-term outlook on the battlefield. “This continues to be a tough fight for the Ukrainians,” the official said. “Our aim will be to continue to work closely with the Ukrainians and the international community to provide them with the support they need as they repel the Russian invaders.” US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said that while Ukrainian forces have made “significant progress” in their counteroffensive, particularly in the northeast, “it’s too early to say exactly where this is going.” Speaking at a press conference in Mexico City, he said Russia was continuing to pour resources into the war. “The Russians maintain very significant forces in Ukraine, as well as equipment and weapons and ammunition,” Blinken said. “They continue to use it indiscriminately not only against the Ukrainian armed forces, but also against civilians and civilian infrastructure.” Some Western officials have been encouraged by Ukraine’s progress, saying its recent advances have strengthened the case for NATO countries and partners to continue providing it with lethal aid. The US is aware of reports that Russian forces abandoned equipment as they retreated, “which could be indicative of disorganized Russian command and control,” the official added. A senior US defense official said Washington and its allies are discussing Ukraine’s long-term needs, such as air defence, and whether it might be appropriate to provide fighter jets to Kyiv “in the medium to long term”. Ukrainian military officials said they have retaken more than 3,000 square kilometers of territory in what has become Moscow’s biggest military setback since it was forced to scrap plans to seize Kyiv and retreat from the country’s north in March.

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Officials and analysts expect Ukraine to continue to advance, but that Russia may be able to take back some territory, adding that they did not expect progress to be linear. Karine Jean-Pierre, a White House spokeswoman, said it was up to Ukraine to clarify its progress, but added that “it is clear they are fighting hard to defend their country and take back territory.” The US “will continue to support its need to succeed on the battlefield.” He added that the White House is grateful to Congress “for the bipartisan support that made it possible to provide Ukraine with unprecedented military, humanitarian assistance [and] financial support’ so far. Jean-Pierre said the US and its allies “worked to meet Ukraine’s request for what they need to be successful on the battlefield — and that’s what we will continue to do.”

The US has frozen much of the $40 billion aid package for Ukraine signed by President Joe Biden in May, which was supposed to last until the end of September. He has asked Congress for about $13 billion in additional aid to the country, including lethal aid, and Washington is expected to announce another arms package in the coming days. The tentatively encouraging assessment by US officials comes after the Kremlin said it would continue its invasion of Ukraine “until all the objectives originally set out are achieved”. The Russian Defense Ministry has acknowledged that its troops have withdrawn to the Kharkiv region, but authorities have since avoided calling it a retreat. On Monday, Ukrainian troops sought to consolidate the gains they have made since the offensive east of Kharkiv began. In Izyum, a critical logistics hub where thousands of Russian troops were stationed, Ukrainian soldiers raised the national flag over the central district government building in the main square.