US Secretary Of State Blinken: Ukraine Has Reclaimed 50 Percent Of Russian-Occupied Regions

The Ukrainian military fired Howitzers. (Wikimedia Commons/Ministry of Defense of Ukraine/military journalist Taras Gren)

JAKARTA - United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that although Ukraine managed to retake half of the territory originally captured by Russia in its invasion, Kyiv faced a "very tough struggle" to retake another region.

"They have reclaimed about 50 percent of the area originally captured," Foreign Minister Blinken said in an interview with CNN on Sunday.

"These are still relatively early days of counter-attacks. It's difficult."

"It won't be finished in the next week or two. We're still seeing it in the next few months," Foreign Minister Blinken said.

Ukraine hopes to quickly clear Moscow troops from its territory, after the launch of the summer counter-attack faded as Kyiv forces struggle to penetrate Russia's strongly embedded position in the south and east of the country.

Late last month, President Volodymyr Zelensky said progress against Russian troops was "slower than desired". But Kyiv will not be pressured to speed it up, he said.

As previously reported, the United States military commander said Ukraine's counter-attack on Russian troop positions was far from a failure, although he acknowledged fighting ahead would be prolonged and more bloody, although casualties on both sides continued to fall.

Asked if the retaliatory attack had failed, at least so far, US military Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley said it was too early.

"This is far from a failure. I think it's too early to make such an assessment," he said.

It is known that since Ukraine began its retaliation last month, Kyiv has reclaimed several villages in the south and areas around the easternly destroyed city of Bakhmut, but has yet to attempt to make major breakthroughs across Russia's heavily fortified defense lines.