Ukraine war: Crimea bridge hit, billions for reconstruction, counteroffensive 'will take time'

Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmygal warned on Thursday that the army's counteroffensive wont be quick, though he was "optimistic" it would succeed. 

"We will carry out smart offensive operations, and for this reason it will take time," Chmygal told reporters at a press conference in London.

“The counteroffensive is made up of many military operations - some are offensive, others are defensive,” he explained. “Unfortunately, during our preparation for this counteroffensive, the Russians also prepared."

"There are so many minefields that it slows the progress of the troops a lot."

He added that Ukrainian troops were "fighting according to NATO rules", saying they did not leave "any solider" behind, unlike the Russians who "do not count human lives".

"I am totally optimistic about the liberation of our territories occupied by the Russians," insisted Chmygal. 

Ukraine's big push has encountered stiff Russian resistance, though there have been limited gains. 

A bridge connecting Crimea and ​​southern Ukraine has been damaged by a Ukrainian strike, local Russian authorities said on Thursday.

"There were no casualties," said the Russian governor of the annexed peninsular Sergei Aksionov, adding the damage was being assessed.

The bridge connects Crimea, illegally annexed by Moscow in 2014, to an area of ​​the southern region of Kherson occupied by Russian forces. 

This strike reported by the Russian authorities comes as Ukrainian forces have been conducting offensive actions since early June on several sectors of the front, particularly in southern Ukraine.

Crimea serves as a logistical rear base for the Russian forces deployed in southern Ukraine.

Ukraine’s allies pledged several billion dollars in non-military aid on Wednesday to