Russia gains edge as Ukraine's manpower dwindles in conflict
American military officials and intelligence personnel have announced the end of the stalemate on the Russia-Ukraine front, as reported by "The New York Times." This shift is attributed to the increasingly intense actions of Vladimir Putin's forces, which seem to be gaining the upper hand. Once again, there is concern about Kyiv's ability to withstand the winter.
6:53 PM EST, November 3, 2024
As recently as the summer of 2024, U.S. government analysts insisted that it was unlikely for Russia to make significant progress in Ukraine in the coming months.
They claimed that "poorly trained troops are struggling to break through Ukrainian defenses." However, as noted by the NYT, this assessment has proven incorrect. Russian forces have already taken control of more than a third of the territory occupied by the Ukrainian army in the Kursk region and have significantly increased the number of drone attacks.
The new report clearly highlights the inaccuracies in earlier forecasts. NYT cites the opinion of a high-ranking U.S. military official in it.
The Russian military, which consistently made mistakes during the invasion of Ukraine in 2022, is now a thing of the past, the publication reads. - Now, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation have developed significantly and are advancing.
For this reason, some American intelligence services and military officials doubt Ukraine's ability to halt the Russian offensive. In their view, it's not about a shortage of weapons, which the Ukrainian army continues to request. The real problem is a lack of soldiers willing to fight on the Ukrainian side.
According to a Pentagon source cited by the NYT, Ukraine has enough soldiers to fight for another six months to a year at most. After that period, the Ukrainian Armed Forces will likely face a significant shortage of personnel.
However, Russia is facing a similar issue. If U.S. support for Ukraine can be maintained until then, Ukrainian forces might be able to leverage shortages in the Russian army and possibly turn the tide in their favor.
