The Armed Forces of Ukraine have indeed launched a military operation in the Kherson region. However, it must be completed first, and only then can the results be evaluated.
Natalya Humenyuk, the spokeswoman of the Operational Command "South" informed about this at the briefing.
"Any military operation requires silence. In the conditions of a hybrid war, such a reaction to news from the front harms the Armed Forces of Ukraine. There is news about the offensive in the southern direction, it inspired the Ukrainians. But for now, it is necessary to realize that any actions must first be completed, only then they will be effective. Now we need to wait and understand the rules and sequence of actions of military units," she emphasized.
According to her, the forces of the Russians are quite powerful, as they have brought their reserves there. However, the Armed Forces of Ukraine have been destroying the enemyʼs ammunition depots and military equipment for a long time, as well as shelling bridges to complicate logistics.
"Our measures have weakened the enemy, but he is still very powerful. Even the fact that they are morally disoriented, of course, plays into our hands, but it is too early to relax," she explained.
Humenyuk also emphasized that the Ukrainian military does not destroy infrastructure. She called on people in the occupied territory who are unable to evacuate to stay in shelters.
At the same time, American officials also confirmed in a comment to CNN that Ukraine had begun certain counteroffensive actions. There they call it the beginning of the "formation" of conditions for a military operation. Such "shaping" conditions are standard pre-offensive military practice and include strikes on weapons systems, command and control, ammunition depots, and other targets to prepare the battlefield for a planned offensive. The U.S. believes that the long-awaited Ukrainian counteroffensive will include a combination of air and ground operations.