Top US General says fighting in east Ukraine 'not a done deal' but numbers favour Russians

As the Russia-Ukraine war continues to escalate, United States General Mark Milley, who is also the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has said that the Russian consolidation of their control in eastern Ukraine was “not a done deal” despite Moscow’s forces outnumbering and outgunning the Ukrainian army. According to CNN, Milley at a press conference in Brussels on Wednesday said: "There are no inevitabilities in war. War takes many, many turns. So I wouldn’t say it’s an inevitability” but "the numbers clearly favor the Russians" in Ukraine as both nations remain embroiled in war.

"The Ukrainians are fighting them street by street, house by house," Milley said.

Noting the challenges faced by Russian forces due to prolonged war and “very slow” progress in eastern Ukraine, the US General said, “The Russians have run into a lot of problems. They’ve got command and control issues, logistics issues. They’ve got morale issues, leadership issues and a wide variety of other issues, and the Russians have suffered tremendous amounts of casualties.” Milley also termed the present phase of the Russia-Ukraine war as a “very severe battle of attrition, almost World War I-like".

US envoy meets Ukraine's cyber officials; vows to support Kyiv in deterring Russian attacks

US Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget A. Brink met with officials at the Ukrainian government's main cybersecurity agency on Wednesday. Brink pledged support for Kyiv’s “crucial work” in defending against Russia’s hacking threats amid the conflict. US Ambassador to Ukraine visited the war-torn country’s State Service of Special Communications and Information Protection (SSSCIP).

The meeting came just weeks after Brink was confirmed as United States’ top diplomat in Kyiv. Brink discussed  US Agency for International Development (USAID) program with SSSCIP with an aim to bolster Ukraine’s cyber defences. It is to mention here that Ukrainian cyber defences have fairly resisted the barrage of alleged Russian hacks during the war. Moreover, the United States Agency International Development (USAID) has also initiated a four-year program worth $38 million in 2020 to ramp up Ukraine’s cybersecurity workforce and bolster the country’s infrastructure. 

US announces more aid

Meanwhile, United States President Joe Biden announced that the "United States, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), is providing more than $225 million in additional humanitarian assistance to Ukraine amid Russia’s unprovoked war that has pushed 12 million people from their homes and triggered staggering humanitarian needs."

Image: AP/ PTI