BRUSSELS - Senior Pentagon officials predicted on Thursday a long, violent battle as Ukrainian forces attempt to drive occupying Russian troops out of their country, offering their most candid comments to date about a new offensive campaign reliant on Western military equipment and training.
Gen. Mark A. Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said it would be "very premature" to estimate how long Ukraine's counteroffensive could take, considering that Russia has several hundred thousand troops dug in on the front lines. But he characterized the operation as "a very violent fight" that will "likely take a considerable amount of time - and at high cost."