Zaluzhny explained why the war has entered a new phase
Russia’s war against Ukraine, despite the stalemate on the front lines, continues and is entering a new phase in which the depletion of resources, strikes against logistics and critical infrastructure, and air attacks are playing a key role.
According to the diplomat, Russia has not achieved its main political objectives, and therefore it is not yet possible to speak of a Russian victory.
“Has Russia lost? First of all, regarding the political objectives Russia has stated, it can be concluded that Russia has not achieved them, and therefore has not won. However, this conclusion will only be valid if Russia agrees to end the war. Of course, that will not happen,” Zaluzhny emphasized.
At the same time, he stressed that Ukraine has managed to thwart the Kremlin’s key plans, but this does not mean the war is over. Russia does not acknowledge defeat, continues to occupy Ukrainian territories, and any potential peace agreements will remain complicated due to the issue of the occupied territories.
The ambassador also drew attention to the serious challenges facing Ukraine as a result of the protracted conflict.
“Even while dealing devastating blows to the Russian economy, Ukraine remains dependent on financial and technological support and is accumulating a multitude of internal problems that are becoming increasingly difficult to manage. Fourth, Russia fully understands this and is counting on wearing Ukraine down both morally and physically. Furthermore, Russia has greater reserves of resources, its own space capabilities—however limited—and leads in the production of, for example, ballistic missiles. It is simply impossible to manufacture enough air defense systems to counter this,” Zaluzhny noted.
He also emphasized that the success of Ukraine or Russia must be assessed through the lens of international support. In his view, this support is gradually weakening due to a shift in the U.S. position and disagreements among European Union countries.
Describing the current phase of the war, Zaluzhny called it a war of attrition, in which, he believes, there will be no real winners.
“This is a war of attrition. There will be no winners, only losers. So far, this list includes Russia and Ukraine, which—despite their attempts to pass off wishful thinking as reality—have lost more than they have gained. This list will grow,” he explained.
In conclusion, the diplomat noted that the nature of modern warfare has changed radically.
“Thus, despite the stalemate on the front lines, the war continues, expanding both the tools used to wage it and constantly adjusting the political objectives of the parties involved. Today, the war of attrition has extended far beyond the front lines and has shifted, on the one hand, toward the destruction of logistics routes and the testing of air defense systems, and on the other, toward a contest over the vulnerability of critical infrastructure. “All of this has completely shifted the paradigm of war from the total defeat of the enemy or surrender to an increase in internal threats due to the high cost of airstrikes and attempts to defend against them, as well as the creation of social tension,” Valerii Zaluzhnyi concluded.
This was stated by Valeriy Zaluzhny, former Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and Ukraine’s Ambassador to the United Kingdom, in a column for “Interfax-Ukraine.”
As a reminder, NATO does not believe that Russia is capable of capturing the belt of Ukrainian fortress cities in the Donbas by the end of 2027.
The pace of the Russian army’s advance in Ukraine in June 2026 slowed by nearly four times compared to the same period last year.
