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[ワシントン ３日 ロイター] – The U.S. Department of Defense’s Assistant Secretary for International Security Affairs Celeste Wallander said Thursday that Ukrainian forces are on track to achieve key battlefield objectives as they strengthen their military position once morest Russian forces ahead of winter. He indicated that he was moving towards
Speaking at an event organized by the US Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), Wallander said that in addition to recent successes in eastern Kharkov and Donetsk, the Ukrainian military was also making progress in southern Kherson. “Ukrainian forces now appear to be on track to achieve all three goals,” he said.
The Ukrainian military aims to push back the Russian forces west of the Dnipro in the Kherson region, which would hinder Russia’s plans to seize Odessa. It will be a big loss for us,” he said. “The Ukrainian army will be able to better defend itself in order to survive the fierce fighting in the winter,” he said.
On September 30, Ukrainian forces recaptured Liman, a strategic point in northern Donetsk Oblast. This allowed the Ukrainian army to advance deeper into the Lugansk region.
Wallander said the recapture of Liman “will have a significant impact on Russia’s ability to resupply and its ability to move troops along the front lines.”
A U.S. military official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told reporters that the U.S. government has so far not confirmed a large increase in Russian troops, even as Russia moves ahead with the partial mobilization of its reserves. “Although we have seen relatively small military build-ups, there are no large-scale additions at this time,” he said.