The war of the Russian Federation against Ukraine has taken on the characteristics of a positional confrontation, similar to World War I, where minor advances are accompanied by heavy personnel losses.
Війна РФ проти України / © ТСН.ua
Russia’s war against Ukraine, initiated by Vladimir Putin as a “special military operation” with the aim of rapidly destroying Ukrainian statehood, has, in its fifth year, entered a state that a number of analysts describe as a strategic “zugzwang,” where any further move only worsens the situation.
This is reported by The Washington Post.
The publication emphasizes that the Kremlin’s expectations of a swift end to the war have not been met: by 2026, Russia has only managed to seize about 0.04% of Ukraine’s territory, and in some months, it has even lost previously occupied positions.
Meanwhile, according to The Economist’s estimates, over more than four years of hostilities, Russia’s losses among military personnel amount to approximately 3% of its pre-war mobilization resources, which includes killed and wounded.
The author of the publication also quotes The Wall Street Journal, which notes that a significant portion of the Russian army’s personnel consists of poorly trained mobilized individuals who are quickly sent to the front. This exacerbates the losses of the occupying Russian army amidst the high intensity of combat operations and the use of Ukrainian drones, which have created deep “kill zones” up to 30 km.
The material highlights that modern warfare has acquired the characteristics of a positional confrontation, similar to World War I, where minor advances are accompanied by heavy personnel losses. Russian units, according to journalists’ assessments, are forced to limit their movement due to the constant threat of drones, which complicates logistics and increases the risks of losses.
It is separately noted that due to the threat of Ukrainian drone strikes, Putin is increasingly forced to stay in shelters, while attacks are already being recorded even near Moscow.
At the same time, the conflict, according to expert assessments, has already led to the strengthening of NATO and has altered the security architecture of Europe.
Analysts cited by The Washington Post describe Russia’s current state as a “negative equilibrium” — a situation where a state formally maintains stability but gradually depletes its own resources and potential.
Former Russian officials and military analysts quoted in the material believe that the war has entered a phase of strategic zugzwang, where any decision by the Kremlin yields no gain and only intensifies long-term losses, and suggest that further developments may determine Russia’s ability to respond to the changing balance of power in the war.
The war in Ukraine is backfiring on Putin — latest news
We remind you that analysts at the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) believe that the Russian dictator has a **distorted perception of his troops’ “successes”** in Ukraine because he is being lied to about the situation on the front lines.
Earlier, the Daily Express reported, citing intelligence data, that Ukrainian drones are dominating sectors of the so-called Crimea-Donetsk corridor — a strategic highway used to transport fuel, ammunition, and military materials from Russia.
Earlier, the German publication Bild identified three main factors that **are turning the war of attrition into a serious problem** for the Kremlin.
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