US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Thursday that the military support of Ukraine by allies is bearing fruit on the battlefield.

 Austin said this while opening a Rammstein-style meeting in Germany.

 The head of the Pentagon emphasized that now the war is once again at a pivotal moment.

 "Russian troops continue to brutally bombard Ukrainian cities and civilians with rocket and artillery fire. But Ukrainian forces have begun their counteroffensive in the south of the country. They are integrating the opportunities that we have all provided to fight and win back our sovereign territories," the head of the Pentagon said.

 "Now we see the obvious success of our joint efforts on the battlefield. Every day we see the determination of allies and partners around the world to help Ukraine resist Russia's illegal imperialist unjustified war of aggression. We must evolve as the struggle evolves," Lloyd Austin added.

 He emphasized that "the face of war is changing, as is the mission of this contact group."

 "We will work together to train Ukrainian forces for the long term. We will work together to help integrate Ukraine's capabilities and strengthen its joint operations for the long term. We will work together to modernize our defense and industrial base to meet Ukraine's long term needs , and we will work together on production and innovation to meet Ukraine's long-term self-defense needs," the US Secretary of Defense said.