NBC’s Lederman: ‘A Lot of Skepticism’ that Counteroffensive by Ukraine ‘Might Have Been a Head Fake’

BRZEZINSKI After months of ░░░░░░░░ the Ukrainian military says ░░░░░░░░ has launched a counteroffensive ░░░░░░░░ retake Russian occupied Kherson ░░░░░░░░ the south of the ░░░░░░░░ Ukrainian officials yesterday said ░░░░░░░░ has sharply escalated in ░░░░░░░░ region and their military ░░░░░░░░ breached the occupier s ░░░░░░░░ line of defense Officials ░░░░░░░░ said Ukrainian forces destroyed ░░░░░░░░ large Russian military base ░░░░░░░░ claim NBC News has ░░░░░░░░ been able to independently ░░░░░░░░ Joining us now NBC ░░░░░░░░ correspondent Josh Lederman live ░░░░░░░░ central Ukraine Josh what ░░░░░░░░ you tell us LEDERMAN ░░░░░░░░ Mika there was a ░░░░░░░░ of skepticism that this ░░░░░░░░ promised counteroffensive by Ukraine ░░░░░░░░ have been a head ░░░░░░░░ because the Ukrainians had ░░░░░░░░ talking about it for ░░░░░░░░ and it didn t ░░░░░░░░ to materialize But now ░░░░░░░░ to Ukraine s military ░░░░░░░░ offensive has begun and ░░░░░░░░ military officials saying this ░░░░░░░░ that over the last ░░░░░░░░ hours they were able ░░░░░░░░ damage about 30 Russian ░░░░░░░░ assets in the area ░░░░░░░░ Kherson including an S ░░░░░░░░ anti aircraft system Now ░░░░░░░░ has not confirmed whether ░░░░░░░░ s the case In ░░░░░░░░ Russia s military has ░░░░░░░░ that they as they ░░░░░░░░ trying to repel the ░░░░░░░░ counteroffensive were able to ░░░░░░░░ several hundred Ukrainian troops ░░░░░░░░ claim that can t ░░░░░░░░ verified But there have ░░░░░░░░ been multiple explosions in ░░░░░░░░ area of Kherson over ░░░░░░░░ last 24 hours signaling ░░░░░░░░ this fight is really ░░░░░░░░ to the south as ░░░░░░░░ tries to start to ░░░░░░░░ back some of that ░░░░░░░░ from Russia that Moscow ░░░░░░░░ claimed early on in ░░░░░░░░ war But the other ░░░░░░░░ focus here in Ukraine ░░░░░░░░ is of course the ░░░░░░░░ nuclear power plant with ░░░░░░░░ IAEA inspectors now on ░░░░░░░░ way to central Ukraine ░░░░░░░░ I am at right ░░░░░░░░ to be able to ░░░░░░░░ the nuclear plant Those ░░░░░░░░ arrived in Kyiv in ░░░░░░░░ last 24 hours They ░░░░░░░░ going to be making ░░░░░░░░ way to spend several ░░░░░░░░ on site at the ░░░░░░░░ plant not only inspecting ░░░░░░░░ damage that s already ░░░░░░░░ done to parts of ░░░░░░░░ power plant earlier in ░░░░░░░░ war but hopefully getting ░░░░░░░░ sense of whether the ░░░░░░░░ systems and backup mechanisms ░░░░░░░░ off site power are ░░░░░░░░ intact to run this ░░░░░░░░ plant safely They re ░░░░░░░░ hoping to get a ░░░░░░░░ on the Ukrainian nuclear ░░░░░░░░ who have been working ░░░░░░░░ duress there under Russian ░░░░░░░░ for months now But ░░░░░░░░ s a lot they ░░░░░░░░ not going to be ░░░░░░░░ to do frankly like ░░░░░░░░ the shelling at the ░░░░░░░░ nuclear power plant or ░░░░░░░░ Russia to hand the ░░░░░░░░ back over to Ukraine ░░░░░░░░ that the United States ░░░░░░░░ been calling for the ░░░░░░░░ House also calling yesterday ░░░░░░░░ there to be a ░░░░░░░░ shutdown of the nuclear ░░░░░░░░ for safety reasons Russia ░░░░░░░░ rejected those ideas But ░░░░░░░░ hope is that having ░░░░░░░░ eyes and ears on ░░░░░░░░ ground at Zaporizhzhia will ░░░░░░░░ some sense of stability ░░░░░░░░ this situation that has ░░░░░░░░ really escalating in the ░░░░░░░░ several days with local ░░░░░░░░ in the Zaporizhzhia region ░░░░░░░░ dolling out iodine tablets ░░░░░░░░ people who live within ░░░░░░░░ 30 miles of the ░░░░░░░░ plant just in case ░░░░░░░░ s a radiation spread.”