According to the highest ranking military officer in the US, Ukraine's counteroffensive against Russia will be challenging and "very bloody.".
Although Ukraine was "advancing steadily," Gen. Mark Milley said he was not surprised that progress had been slower than anticipated.
It moves a little slowly, but he added that this was typical of war.
Volodymyr Zelensky, the president of Ukraine, acknowledged last week that the offensive was moving slowly.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Milley said that the counteroffensive was "advancing steadily, deliberately working its way through very difficult minefields" to a crowd on Friday at the National Press Club in Washington. 500, 1,000, or 2,000 people per day, for example.
He continued by noting that the slower-than-expected progress was not unexpected. "War on paper is not the same as war in practice. Real people do perish in actual war, he said.
Both the front lines and the vehicles are occupied by actual people. High explosives are shredding actual human bodies.
"What I had said was that it would take six, eight, or 10 weeks and be very challenging. It will go on for a very long time and be extremely bloody. And nobody should harbor any false hopes regarding any of that. ".
He added that "this is literally a fight for their life," as Ukrainian soldiers were "assaulting through minefields and into trenches.".
He claimed that the US was providing "as much help as humanly possible" to Ukraine.
Gen. Milley serves as the president's, defense secretary's, and National Security Council's top military advisor.
The counteroffensive, according to Ukraine's military chief Valery Zaluzhny, was hampered by a lack of sufficient firepower.
He expressed his frustration over the slow deliveries of weapons promised by the West, including modern fighter jets and artillery ammunition, in an interview with the Washington Post that was published on Friday.
"I don't require 120 aircraft. I'm not going to issue a global threat. The number should be kept to a minimum, he suggested.
Separately, according to reports, William Burns, the director of the US Central Intelligence Agency, paid an unannounced visit to Ukraine last month where he met with President Zelensky and Ukrainian intelligence officials.
The counteroffensive launched by Ukraine against Russian forces is said to have been discussed, and the CIA director is also reported to have reaffirmed US commitment to intelligence-sharing.
