The report was from TASS, which rounded it of with -
Meanwhile, the French leader refrained from publicly discussing the perspectives in case of failure of the expected Ukrainian counter-offensive, expressing his hope that it will be successful.
Is that the closest that any western political leader has come to admitting that it's going to be a balls up, if it happens at all?
I do get the impression that the west doesn't really know what to do now that the loss of Bakhmut has showed up its weakness. NATO just hasn't the resources for an assault, and anyway, isn't it meant to be a defensive alliance, while Russia is replenishing its stocks as the conflict continues. The longer it drags on the weaker the west will get for it appears not to be able to ramp up its arms production in the short term.
Wars are a matter of industrial output, Russia is streets ahead while we in the west have farmed out our manufacturing expertise to China, which the US is busy trying to upset with chip sanctions. Not the brightest move.