White House: 'Notable Progress' in Ukraine's Southern Counteroffensive

White House officials and Ukrainian authorities are reporting progress in the three-month counteroffensive against Russian forces in the southern region of Ukraine but are emphasizing the difficult road ahead.

Key Quotes: White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters, “We have noted over the last 72 hours or so some notable progress by Ukrainian armed forces ...in that southern line of advance coming out of the Zaporizhzhia area, and they have achieved some success against that second line of Russian defenses.” Kirby added that Ukrainian forces have “still got some tough fighting ahead of them as they try to push further south.” The New York Post (Lean Right bias) quoted George Barros, an analyst with the Institute for the Study of War, partially blaming the Ukrainian’s slow progress on Washington’s “ongoing habit of waffling” on weapon deliveries, stating, “We debate a certain system, and when the situation becomes quite dire in Ukraine, they decide now is the time to send the system,” adding, “it’s good that we send these things, but the timing is sub-optimal.”

For Context: Ukrainian forces are fighting to retake land in the southern Zaporizhzhia region in an attempt to cut off the land connection between Russia and the occupied Crimean Peninsula.

How the Media Covered It: Left- and center-rated outlets are reporting on the counteroffensive most frequently and prominently, often leading with reports of Ukrainian successes. In right-rated coverage, the slow nature of the fighting is more emphasized.