Milley describes lengthy Ukrainian counteroffensive as ‘extremely violent’

Gen. Mark Milley: Ukraine’s Counteroffensive Against Russia Will Be “Very, Very Bloody”

Gen. Mark Milley, the Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman and principal military adviser to President Joe Biden, delivered a sobering message on Friday regarding Ukraine’s counteroffensive against Russia. Speaking at the National Press Club, Milley emphasized that progress is not being made as quickly as hoped and warned that the battle ahead will be “very, very bloody.”

“What I had said was this is going to take six, eight, ten weeks; it’s going to be very difficult,” Milley told reporters. “It’s going to be very long, and it’s going to be very, very bloody. And no one had any illusions about any of that.”

Ukrainian forces are currently navigating treacherous minefields as they advance, making progress of 500 to 2,000 meters per day. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky revealed in a recent interview with the BBC that Russian forces have mined approximately 200,000 square kilometers (77,220 square miles) of occupied territory.

“War on paper and real war are different,” Milley emphasized. “In real war, real people die.”

In June, CIA director William J. Burns made an unannounced trip to Ukraine to meet with top officials. During the visit, he was briefed on Ukrainian plans to retake Russian-occupied territory and initiate ceasefire negotiations by the end of 2023.

Despite concerns over the slow pace of the counteroffensive, officials in Kyiv remain privately confident in their ambitious strategy. They believe it will ultimately bring Russia to the negotiating table.

“What’s at stake is people’s lives,” Zelensky emphasized. “Whatever some might want, including attempts to pressure us, with all due respect, we will advance on the battlefield the way we deem best.”

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