麻豆影视

World

    • Exhausted and disappointed with allies, Ukraine's president and military chief warn of long attritional war

    Share

    Two articles published this week give a stark assessment of Ukraine鈥檚 prospects in its war with Russia. One 鈥 by the commander in chief of the Ukrainian military 鈥 admits the battlefield has reached a stalemate and a long attritional war benefiting Moscow beckons. The other portrays Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as exhausted by the constant effort to cajole and persuade allies to keep the faith.

    Ukraine鈥檚 military chief, Gen. Valery Zaluzhny, says in a long essay and interview with the Economist that 鈥渏ust like in the First World War we have reached the level of technology that puts us into a stalemate.鈥

    He acknowledges: 鈥淭here will most likely be no deep and beautiful breakthrough,鈥 but instead an equilibrium of devastating losses and destruction.

    At the same time, in an interview with TIME鈥檚 Simon Shuster, Zelensky says that 鈥淣obody believes in our victory like I do. Nobody.鈥 But he adds that instilling those beliefs in Ukraine鈥檚 allies 鈥渢akes all your power, your energy.鈥

    Shuster, who has long had access to the president鈥檚 inner circle, portrays Zelensky as tired and sometimes irritable, and anxious that allied commitment is waning.

    鈥淓xhaustion with the war rolls along like a wave. You see it in the United States, in Europe,鈥 Zelensky is quoted as saying.

    But Zelensky is fixated with victory and won鈥檛 countenance a truce or negotiations. 鈥淔or us it would mean leaving this wound open for future generations,鈥 he tells TIME.

    Five months after Ukraine launched its much-anticipated counteroffensive, Zelensky鈥檚 fears and Zaluzhny鈥檚 assessment come as the world鈥檚 focus shifts to the Middle East and the risk that Israel鈥檚 war with Hamas might spill over into a broader regional conflict.

    Zelensky himself acknowledges to TIME: 鈥淥f course we lose out from the events in the Middle East. People are dying, and the world鈥檚 help is needed there to save lives鈥︹

    STALEMATE ON THE FRONT

    Ukrainian forces have taken just a sliver of land since the summer; Russia still occupies nearly one-fifth of the country. In some areas, such as around Avdviika and Vuhledar in Donetsk, and near Kupyansk in Kharkiv, the Ukrainians are on the defensive, as Russia pours munitions and men into the battle.

    Zaluzhny tells the Economist that the Kremlin is oblivious to the huge losses sustained by the Russian army 鈥 well over 100,000 men according to many estimates. In the last few days, Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov says Russia has lost 4,000 men around Avdviika alone. Open-source imagery suggests the Russians may have lost up to 200 tanks and other vehicles in that battle.

    Zaluzhny seems almost puzzled that the arsenal supplied to Ukraine by its Western allies, and the mobilization of several more brigades, has made so little difference. Changing commanders and moving divisions have had no impact, he says.

    鈥淔our months should have been enough time for us to have reached Crimea, to have fought in Crimea, to return from Crimea and to have gone back in and out again,鈥 he adds.

    Instead, deep and well-entrenched Russian defences have been impossible to penetrate. Even where dense minefields are penetrated, often at great cost, the Russians restore them through remote mine-laying.

    Ukraine鈥檚 inferiority in the air has stymied advances on the ground, and Zaluzhny warns that at the end of 2023, Russia may deploy new attack squadrons.

    The commander in chief says that at one point he turned to an old Soviet analysis of the First World War, entitled 鈥淏reaching Fortified Defense Lines.鈥 The similarities with today were striking, he notes.

    鈥淚 realized that is exactly where we are because just like then, the level of our technological development today has put both us and our enemies in a stupor.鈥

    The use of drones and other reconnaissance technology is at the heart of the stalemate. Zaluzhny talks about the carnage unfolding around Avdviika as Russia throws dozens of tanks into taking a few hundred meters.

    鈥淭he simple fact is that we see everything the enemy is doing, and they see everything we are doing.鈥

    At the same time he acknowledges that the Russian military has learnt and adapted. It has improved logistics chains, factories are churning out new hardware and its electronic warfare capabilities have blunted Ukraine鈥檚 edge in precision munitions.

    Zaluzhny candidly admits that Russia 鈥渨ill maintain an advantage in armaments, equipment, rockets, and ammunition for some time.鈥

    KYIV鈥橲 WISH LIST

    Ukraine鈥檚 military chief says it will take a qualitative leap to break the remorseless war of attrition that has set in 鈥 just as winter begins to bite. That brutal recognition can only wear down Ukrainian morale, and not just on the battlefield. Ukrainian civilians will face another cold, dark winter if Russia renews its targeting of energy infrastructure.

    In his essay Zaluzhny lists five major requirements for progress 鈥 none of them quick fixes and all of them demanding renewed commitment from allies. They include gaining air superiority to support ground operations; breaching Russian mine barriers; increasing the effectiveness of counterbattery combat (targeting Russian artillery, for example); creating and training the necessary reserves; and building up electronic warfare capabilities.

    He says that Ukraine must deliver massive strikes 鈥渋n a single combat formation,鈥 using decoys and combat drones to overload the Russian air defence systems.

    鈥淲e also need electronic warfare systems, which are key to winning the drone warfare,鈥 he notes, adding that the Russians have about 60 different systems.

    鈥淭his war cannot be won with the weapons of the past generation and outdated methods,鈥 Zaluzhny told the Economist. 鈥淪ooner or later we are going to find that we simply don鈥檛 have enough people to fight.鈥

    鈥淲e have limited capabilities to train reserves on our own territory, since the enemy has the ability to launch missile and air strikes on training centers and training grounds.鈥

    The Kremlin, by contrast, seems grimly satisfied by the stalemate in the belief that ultimately its larger military machine will break Ukrainian morale.

    Responding to Zaluzhny鈥檚 comments, spokesman Dmitri Peskov said Thursday that 鈥淩ussia consistently continues to conduct the special military operation. All goals that are set must be achieved.鈥

    Moscow is also likely relishing shifting sentiment in the US, in both Congress and among the public.

    According to a new Gallup poll, 41 per cent of Americans say the US is doing too much to help Ukraine, up from 29 per cent just five months ago. That figure rises to 55 per cent among Republicans, according to the poll, as the 2024 election looms.

    The paralysis on Capitol Hill has also interrupted the flow of military aid to Ukraine. The Biden administration鈥檚 efforts to link a year鈥檚 worth of aid (US$24 billion) to other funding priorities, such as aid to Israel, have run into strong headwinds among Republicans in Congress.

    Several Republican senators have now said that Zaluzhny鈥檚 remarks call into question Ukraine鈥檚 strategy in the war. One who has opposed further aid to Ukraine, Sen. J.D. Vance, said Thursday: 鈥淭his was always going to end with Russia controlling some Ukrainian territory and a negotiated settlement.鈥

    Speaking of his latest visit to Washington in September, Zelensky tells TIME that some members of Congress 鈥渁sked me straight up: 鈥業f we don鈥檛 give you the aid, what happens?鈥 What happens is we will lose.鈥

    Zelensky and other Ukrainian officials have consistently warned that the volume and type of aid coming from Western allies 鈥 as well as what they see as damaging delays in its arrival 鈥 has enabled Ukraine to stay in the fight but not to prevail.

    Shuster quotes an aide to the Ukrainian president as saying Zelensky feels 鈥渂etrayed by his Western allies. They have left him without the means to win the war, only the means to survive it.鈥

    Only now are US-made ATACMs (a longer-range tactical missile) being brought to bear against targets far behind the front lines. F-16 fighter jets will not be deployed until next spring at the earliest.

    To many Ukrainian officials, this restricted pipeline has allowed Russia to stabilize a situation which a year ago threatened to unravel, in the aftermath of the sudden Ukrainian advance through Kharkiv and the Russian withdrawal from much of Kherson.

    If the Russians have an Achilles heel, Zaluzhny believes, it is Crimea. That is partly because it is the jewel in President Vladimir Putin鈥檚 crown, and partly because the peninsula is an important channel for resupplying Russian troops as well as the home of its Black Sea fleet.

    Over the past few months, the Ukrainian military has stepped up missile, drone and sabotage attacks against Russia鈥檚 defense infrastructure in Crimea, as well as Putin鈥檚 prized bridge to Russia. Zaluzhny says that for the first time an ATACM was used against a target in Crimea this week. But its land forces remain many miles from the peninsula.

    For now, Zaluzhny鈥檚 greatest fear is prolonged trench warfare against an enemy with three times the number of men under arms.

    鈥淭he biggest risk of an attritional trench war is that it can drag on for years and wear down the Ukrainian state,鈥 he says.

    Zaluzhny describes Russia as 鈥渁 feudal state where the cheapest resource is human life. And for us鈥 the most expensive thing we have is our people.鈥

    CTVNews.ca Top Stories

    A team of tornado experts is heading to Fergus, Ont. after a storm ripped through the area Sunday night.

    Why brain aging can vary dramatically between people

    Researchers are uncovering deeper insights into how the human brain ages and what factors may be tied to healthier cognitive aging, including exercising, avoiding tobacco, speaking a second language or even playing a musical instrument.

    Canada

    • A team of tornado experts is heading to Fergus, Ont. after a storm ripped through the area Sunday night.

    • Two nephews of the beloved Harry R. Hamilton share stories about his life and legacy.

    • The union representing some 1,200 dockworkers at the Port of Montreal has overwhelmingly rejected a deal with their employers association.

    • A man who was critically injured in a police-involved shooting in Hamilton late Sunday afternoon has died in hospital, says the province鈥檚 police watchdog.

    World

    Politics

    • Murray Sinclair鈥檚 family members say the late justice and senator has been laid to rest according to his wishes.

    • Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced voters in Cloverdale鈥擫angley City will pick their next member of Parliament on Dec. 16.

    Health

    Sci-Tech

    Entertainment

    Business

    Lifestyle

    Sports

    Autos

    Local Spotlight

    For the second year in a row, the 鈥楪ift-a-Family鈥 campaign is hoping to make the holidays happier for children and families in need throughout Barrie.

    Some of the most prolific photographers behind CTV Skywatch Pics of the Day use the medium for fun, therapy, and connection.

    A young family from Codroy Valley, N.L., is happy to be on land and resting with their newborn daughter, Miley, after an overwhelming, yet exciting experience at sea.

    As Connor Nijsse prepared to remove some old drywall during his garage renovation, he feared the worst.

    A group of women in Chester, N.S., has been busy on the weekends making quilts 鈥 not for themselves, but for those in need.

    A Vancouver artist whose streetside singing led to a chance encounter with one of the world's biggest musicians is encouraging aspiring performers to try their hand at busking.

    Ten-thousand hand-knit poppies were taken from the Sanctuary Arts Centre and displayed on the fence surrounding the Dartmouth Cenotaph on Monday.

    A Vancouver man is saying goodbye to his nine-to-five and embarking on a road trip from the Canadian Arctic to Antarctica.

    • LIVE

      LIVE

      Thousands of people are gathered in downtown Vancouver to observe the city鈥檚 100th Remembrance Day ceremony.

    • A suspect was arrested for allegedly brandishing a knife outside a Vancouver elementary school on Friday 鈥 just as the young students were heading home for the day.

    • Several hundred people gathered outside the Ontario legislature in Toronto to honour veterans and remember those who died fighting for their country.

    • Toronto is expected to see an economic boost to the tune of nearly $300 million thanks to Taylor Swift鈥檚 upcoming Eras Tour, which will be making a stop in Canada鈥檚 largest city for a six-show run later this month.

    • A man believed to be in his 40s has been rushed to a trauma centre following a stabbing in downtown Toronto.

    • Calgarians will be observing Remembrance Day at a number of different ceremonies across the city, including at the Hangar Flight Museum.

    • July 2025 may seem like it鈥檚 in the distant future, but for the St. Luke playground committee time is ticking to fundraise the $340,000 they still need to build a new playground.

    • Getting out to the mountains is even easier with a new bus route from a growing Germany-based service.

    • Crowds gathered in Ottawa and eastern Ontario on Monday to honour the sacrifice of men and women in uniform who gave their lives in service of Canada.

    • CTVNewsOttawa.ca looks at Remembrance Day ceremonies in Ottawa.

    • After months of controversy surrounding a dog park in Ottawa's west end, a solution has been reached to divide the park in half.

    • A 36-year-old Montreal man who was out on bail after allegedly uttering death threats to a woman is now accused of murdering her on the South Shore.

    • With fewer interments and rising maintenance fees, the money for Canada's largest military cemetery will run out in three to four years.

    • Montreal Metro passengers can now flag a safety concern by texting a new phone number launched by the STM.

    • WEATHER

      WEATHER

      This is shaping up to be one of the warmest Remembrance Days in the past decade, at least, for temperatures.

    • A member of Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Edmonton participated in the national Remembrance Day Ceremony in Ottawa on Monday.

    • Thousands of Maritimers turned out in wet weather Monday to remember those who have served, and continue to serve, in Canada's armed forces for Remembrance Day.

    • A Cape Breton senior recalls her life in German-occupied France, and her mother鈥檚 death, during the Second World War.

    • Thousand of people gathered at the Menin Gate in the Ypres, Belgium for Monday鈥檚 Remembrance Day Ceremony.

    • Remembrance Day is today, and a number of ceremonies are taking place around the province to honour those who gave their lives to serve our country.

    • A pillar in Canada鈥檚 history was honoured in Winnipeg Sunday afternoon, with thousands showing up to pay tribute to the life and legacy of the late Murray Sinclair.

    • One Manitoba veteran is on a mission to commemorate and honour those who served our country, and not just on Remembrance Day.

    • There will be two ceremonies taking place in Regina for Remembrance Day, hosted by the Royal Canadian Legion.

    • Regina author Valerie Crowther is celebrating the release of her book 鈥榃ar Letters: Linking Lives in the Second World War.鈥

    • It was a somber day at Mosaic Stadium as members of the Saskatchewan Roughriders officially cleaned out their stalls and closed the book on the 2024 season.

    • Saskatchewan RCMP are searching for a suspect after a man was seriously injured in a farm-related incident in Montreal Lake.

    • It was a somber day at Mosaic Stadium as members of the Saskatchewan Roughriders officially cleaned out their stalls and closed the book on the 2024 season.

    • The Regina Rams claimed the Hardy Cup after a hard fought battle against the Saskatoon Huskies 19-14 on Saturday in the first all Saskatchewan U-Sports western conference final since 2002.

    • Emergency crews responded to the scene on Road 68/Highway 2 east of Thamesford around 7 p.m.

    • The events will start at 10:15 a.m. with a parade that forms up in front of the Delta London Armories, marches east on Dundas Street and turns north onto Waterloo Street to Dufferin Avenue, the west to the Cenotaph.

    • A team of tornado experts is heading to Fergus, Ont. after a storm ripped through the area Sunday night.

    • A Barrie man is at the centre of an alleged $2.2 million stolen used car scheme.

    • Environment Canada issued a weather alert for Barrie, Collingwood and surrounding areas, alerting residents about the wicked winds that are expected to pick up to 80 kilometres per hour in the afternoon hours.

    • Barrie residents gathered on Monday to honour Canada鈥檚 veterans and pay tribute to those who served and sacrificed for the country.

    • Representatives of the Windsor Veterans Memorial Services Committee, military representatives, wreath bearers, government officials, and members of the public will attend the Cenotaph at City Hall Square for the outdoor service.

    • Windsor Paralympic champion, Danielle Campo, has been crowned the number one Inspirational Speaker of the Year for 2024 at the Inspirational Speaking Finals.

    • One person has been arrested after Chatham-Kent Police Service (CKPS) received multiple complaints about an alleged drunk driver.

    • Environment Canada says heavy rain and winds could cause power outages on Vancouver Island as an "intense" storm system is set to hit the B.C. coast Sunday.

    • Six deer were struck by vehicles in six different locations in a six-hour period on B.C. highways on Saturday, according to the transportation ministry.

    • The union for locked-out port workers in British Columbia says the BC Maritime Employers Association cut off talks in less than an hour Saturday, refusing to budge on a final offer that the union has so far rejected.

    • The emergency department at South Okanagan General Hospital in Oliver, B.C., will be closed for 31 hours this weekend, the second such closure in a week and the third since the start of November.

    • Police in Kamloops, B.C., are reminding parents and guardians to check their children's Halloween candy after receiving a report of a mother finding a razor blade in one of her daughter's treats.

    • More than two years after Alannah Brown and Douglas Barker were found dead north of Penticton, police are asking for help identifying a vehicle they believe was associated with the crime.

    • The Southern Alberta Recreation Association is officially announcing the Town of Taber as next year鈥檚 host for the Southern Alberta Summer Games.

    • The Lethbridge Hurricanes broke open a close game with three goals in the first two minutes of the third period as they defeated the Warriors 7-3 in a game played Friday night in Moose Jaw.

    • There might not a lot snow just yet, but many southern Albertans are still itching to get outdoors.

    • It was just days before the COVID-19 pandemic shut the world down when the Shaft Bottom Boys of Sudbury broke a world record for 'Deepest Concert Underground.' Now, more than four years later, a Timmins band is looking to take the title.

    • Police have arrested a 15-year-old in connection with a break-in and $50,000 in damage done to the Centennial Arena in Elliot Lake in September.

    • Mayors of the five largest cities in northern Ontario met in North Bay the last two days to discuss a range of critical issues impacting their cities and the region.

    N.L.

    Shopping Trends

    The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at 麻豆影视. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop.聽Read about us.

    Stay Connected
    Follow 麻豆影视