Ukraine has broken the first line of Russian defenses in some places and has had "some success" against the second, US official John Kirby said.
- Ukraine's counteroffensive in the south had made "notable progress," a top US official said.
- They have had "some success" against the second line of defense.
- Ukrainian forces are battling complex Russian defenses, including dense minefields and fortifications.
Ukraine's counteroffensive against Russia's invasion in the south of the country has made "notable progress" in the past 72 hours, according to a top US official.
White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said that Ukraine had broken through Russia's first line of defenses in several places in the advance in the Zaporizhzhia area, The Guardian reported.
"They have achieved some success against that second line of Russian defenses," Kirby added.
He said it was now up to Ukraine to capitalize on the progress.
Ukraine recaptured the village of Robotyne this week, and troops have been penetrating Russian lines between the village and Verbove in the Zaporizhzhia region, according to Western assessments, per The Guardian.
As Ukraine troops push forward, they have come up against complex Russian defenses, including dense minefields and fortifications, according to the Institute for the Study of War think tank.
The next layer of defense likely consists of "anti-tank ditches; dragon's teeth anti-tank obstacles; and additional minefields," the think tank said, with Russian fighting positions behind these obstacles.
Ukraine aims is to reach the Sea of Azov, where it aims to split Russian occupation forces in two.
Ukraine's long-anticipated counteroffensive kicked off to a slow start on June 4, with progress being slower than expected.
Recent reports, including one from the New York Times, have quoted Western officials criticizing the counteroffensive's strategy and pace.
Kirby said that criticism from anonymous officials was "not helpful" and said: "Any objective observer of this counteroffensive, you can't deny that they have made progress now."
Ukraine's deputy defense minister Hanna Maliar also said on Friday that Ukrainian forces were advancing in the Zaporizhzhia region and that the first line of defenses had been broken in some places, per The Guardian.
However, she said that Ukraine's troops were coming up against major defensive Russian fortifications.
"Our armed forces have to overcome a lot of obstacles in order to move forward," she said.
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