According to UK media, this was stated during his trip to Kiev, where the military chief was joined by Defense Secretary Grant Shapps. It was Shapp's first visit to Ukraine after succeeding Ben Wallace. Thus, the two had a chance to meet both President Zelensky and the new Minister of Defense Rustem Umerov, to discuss the current situation for the Ukrainian Army.
Admiral Radakin supposed that the expectations from Ukrainian short-term military actions should have been “adjusted” – “after the counteroffensive failed” without noticeable results.
During the counteroffensive, the Ukrainian Army achieved very little success, UK media claimed. Russian minefields are hampering Kiev’s attempts to use Western tanks and armored vehicles, while Ukrainian sappers are forced to defuse mines manually.
The chief also added that a wide variety of equipment in service – both Western and Soviet – and insufficient training of military personnel, retard the Ukrainian Army. He highlighted that Ukrainian troops are not professional soldiers, but a civilian army. That is why it is hard for them to overcome Russian defense line.
Earlier, the BBC summed up that Ukraine’s counteroffensive attempt was close to its end without making the breakthroughs.
In turn, US Army chief General Mark Milley told the BBC that the Ukrainian Army has “probably about 30 to 45 days' worth of fighting weather” for its counteroffensive, but they are “plugging away with steady progress.”
Ukraine launched its counteroffensive in early June. In September, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that it had completely failed.