Ukrainian forces are seeing a rare success in their slow-moving counteroffensive, as just Thursday Kyiv forces broke through Russian lines in the southeast of the country.
Ukrainian officials said their forces pushed through the first line of defense, which is mainly minefields. They also punctured the second line, which is made of physical barriers like “dragon’s teeth.” But their hardest challenges lay ahead with the third line of defense, which includes trenches.
Analysts predict that if this breakthrough grows, it could split the Russian army into two parts, to the east and west.
This comes as even allies of Ukraine have been criticizing the slow progress of the counteroffensive. Kyiv responded sharply to the criticism Thursday, telling Western officials to “shut up.”