June 21, 2023, Kramatorsk, Donetsk Region, Ukraine: An apartment building destroyed by shelling by Russian troops, Kramatorsk, Donetsk Region, eastern Ukraine. Europa Press/Contact/Yuliia Ovsiannikova 21/6/2023

The UK Ministry of Defense noted that Ukrainian forces were making “gradual but steady” progress since the start, about two weeks ago, of their counteroffensive against Russia in eastern and southern Ukraine.

According to the latest assessment by British Military Intelligence, Ukrainian troops are currently operating across the three main axes of the battle on the eastern and southern fronts, where they have conducted “major offensive operations”.

The Ministry of Defense also assessed that the Ukrainian forces had learned from the first two weeks of the counter-offensive to “perfect their tactics” for a new strike against the “deepest and most experienced defense” of the Russian forces.

In doing so, “Ukrainian units made gradual but steady tactical advances in key areas” of their operations, according to the UK.

However, Russia is not standing still and British Intelligence has detected Moscow’s “major attempt” in the Lugansk region, in the east of the country, to launch an offensive in the Serebryanka forest, near Kremina.

The operation had resulted in “little Russian advance”, but Ukraine appears to have prevented a break in its defensive lines. However, the Russian offensive “may reflect” that Russia’s strategy in relation to this counteroffensive was to retaliate with new attacks “whenever possible”.