Free Republic

In its early phases, Ukraine’s counteroffensive is having less success and Russian forces are showing more competence than western assessments expected, two western officials and a senior US military official tell CNN.The counteroffensive is “not meeting expectations on any front,” one of the officials said.According to the Western assessments, Russian lines of defense have been proving well-fortified, making it difficult for Ukrainian forces to breach them. In addition, Russian forces have had success bogging down Ukrainian armor with missile attacks and mines and have been deploying air power more effectively.Ukrainian forces are proving “vulnerable” to minefields and Russian forces “competent”...