Attrition War

Despite local advances, the Russian military is struggling to maintain its offensive operations after almost one full year on the attack.

Last year, the Russian forces lost over 400,000 men in the fighting. But they managed to replace losses on an almost one-to-one ratio.

Despite its heavy losses, the Russian military leadership persists in its attritional strategy, exchanging men for Ukrainian territory.

Today in Ukraine, the Russian military is pursuing a strategy remarkably similar to that of the past—using its overwhelming numerical superiority in men and weapon systems to achieve goals on...

By relying heavily on unrepresented ethnic minorities far away from the centers of power in Moscow and St. Petersburg, the Kremlin ensures that public outcry against its “special military operation”...

In addition to the contingent that is fighting alongside the Russian forces, Pyongyang has sent millions of artillery munitions and other security assistance to Moscow.

As the war in Ukraine enters its fourth year, the Russian military has settled on a strategy of attrition.

Russia’s astronomical losses in the conflict so far have wiped out its most skilled units, forcing it to rely on mass conscription for further advances.

Although U.S. security assistance toward Ukraine is up in the air for the time being, other NATO countries are rallying around Kyiv.

U.S. officials have stated that the current intelligence shows that Putin is not interested in a real peace deal at the moment.

The Kremlin now controls the tempo of the Ukraine conflict. It also has vast resources in men and materiel to sustain an attritional campaign that Ukraine struggles to match.

U.S. military aid to Ukraine is by far the most important element for Ukrainian troops to continue their homeland's defense.