Frontline videos offer grim, close-up view of Kyiv's counteroffensive

FILE PHOTO: Ukrainian service members ride a military vehicle, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, near the front line in the newly liberated village Neskuchne in Donetsk region, Ukraine June 13, 2023. REUTERS/Oleksandr Ratushniak/File Photo

KYIV (Reuters) - Vivid helmet camera videos filmed by Ukrainian soldiers at the front line can give viewers a visceral feel of combat as Kyiv's counteroffensive finally unfolds, even though experts warn against drawing strong conclusions about how the war is going.

Ukrainian officials have been tight-lipped about the long-awaited operation since it was launched in June, and independent news crews are generally barred from filming operations while they are under way.