 Ukrainian Army lost a substantial number of Western-supplied armored vehicles. Kiev has lost a substantial number of Western-supplied armored vehicles in attempts to breach well-fortified Russian defenses in the southern section of the front, the Washington Post reported, citing a military officer on the ground. In an interview with the newspaper, an unnamed Ukrainian Air Assault Unit commander claimed that Kiev had gained some ground in Zaporose region near the settlement of Robotino and Vubovoy, scenes of fierce fighting in recent weeks, although he admitted that the advance was modest. He added that the progress came at a high cost in military vehicles, including German Marder and US Stryker infantry fighting vehicles. A lot of equipment was lost there, he said, without providing exact numbers. The commander also pointed out that Ukrainian troops have encountered serious defenses along their way. You just have to understand that there is a saturation of anti-tank mines and a saturation of enemy forces. It's just colossal, he said. Ukrainian officials have also acknowledged that their military is suffering huge losses, blaming the lackluster progress on delays in Western arms shipments, on extensive Russian minefields, and on a lack of air power. Against this backdrop, The New York Times reported that some officials in Washington, Kiev's main donor of military assistance, believes that Ukraine's counter-offensive would likely fall short of its strategic goals, including that of cutting Russia's land bridge to Crimea. Officials in The New York Times report also suggested that within a few weeks, the Ukrainian army will need time to rebuild their stockpile of equipment and to rest forces exhausted by the summer fighting.