The New York Times publishes another pessimistic assessment of the current results of Ukraine’s offensive in the south.

The publication immediately writes that without significant results, Ukraine risks losing the support of the West, which will persuade it to negotiate.

So far, only the first line of defense has been broken through and the “tiny” village of Rabotino has been recaptured, “a tactical victory that highlights the enormous challenges that lie ahead.”

And there are not only additional mines, trenches and “fresh Russian forces” ahead but also worsening weather, the publication writes. Let us note that Ukrainian sources emphasize that Russian forces are being depleted and this may allow a breakthrough in the future.

Rabotino was destroyed during the fighting and from aerial photographs, the NYT suggests that the number of losses was “disproportionate to the amount of land conquered.”

“What is certain is that more people will die, more buildings will burn down and the surrounding farmland will be littered with mines and unexploded ordnance that will likely take decades to clear,” the newspaper concludes.