NATO Recognizes First Successes Of Ukrainian Counteroffensive

Secretary General of the North Atlantic Alliance (NATO) Jens Stoltenberg has said that the counteroffensive of the Ukrainian Defense Forces in the east and south of the country began to show the first signs of success.

Stoltenberg made the corresponding statement in an interview with USA Today on Tuesday, June 13.

Stoltenberg confirmed that the Armed Forces of Ukraine managed to liberate seven settlements.

The publication notes that the words of the NATO Secretary General are one of the first official statements from the West about the successes of the Ukrainian military.

At the same time, Stoltenberg added that this counteroffensive of Ukraine will be especially difficult, since Russian troops managed to build a sufficient number of defensive structures.

"The Russians have had time to build — they're quite heavy defensive lines, and to breach them is a demanding task." said the NATO Secretary General.

The publication says that even the first battles within the framework of the launched counter-offensive of the Armed Forces of Ukraine can show that the funds invested in military support for Ukraine bear fruit.

“For NATO allies, Ukrainian success on the battlefield will be critical to sustaining public support needed to ensure the steady flow of military aid that Stoltenberg said is vital,” the publication noted.

As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, on Tuesday, June 13, Deputy Minister of Defense of Ukraine Hanna Maliar said that over the past day the Defense Forces successfully advanced in the Bakhmut, Toretsk and Berdiansk directions.

And according to OSINT analysts, within the first week after the start of the counteroffensive, Ukrainian forces managed to regain control of the territory whose area exceeds Bakhmut, Donetsk Region.