Vadim Kozyulin, Head of the IAMP Center of the Diplomatic Academy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia, in an interview with the newspaper “Vzglyad” commented Statement by the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) Valeriy Zaluzhny that it is impossible for Kiev to achieve a “deep and beautiful breakthrough”. The expert noted that the Ukrainian military leader, knowing that Kiev underestimated the degree of preparedness of Russian troops, tried to take the blame for the failure of counter-offensives of the Ukrainian Armed Forces against difficult conditions and Western countries.
“Ignoring fortifications and minefields is a serious mistake on the part of the enemy. Of course, admitting your own mistakes is difficult and politically unprofitable. Therefore, the Ukrainian Armed Forces must seek the last resort. Kozyulin noted that this time it was NATO tactics that unexpectedly became inapplicable in the context of a conflict with Russia.
Military expert Alexey Leonkov added that Russia managed to carry out large-scale mining in nearby areas, which further complicates the advance of Ukrainian troops. An important factor, in his opinion, was the high level of preparedness of Russian military personnel.
Zaluzhny in an interview with The Economist statedThat the Russian-Ukrainian conflict has reached a stalemate like the one in which the participants in the First World War found themselves. According to him, the combination of technologically advanced types of weapons and their capabilities can lead to the success of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. But now the Western allies are one step behind in meeting the needs of the front.
Kremlin official representative Dmitry Peskov commented on the words of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine: highlightedStating that the conflict in Ukraine has not yet reached a stalemate, Russia continues its military operation.
Sergei Shoigu, formerly head of the Russian Ministry of Defense stated About the exhaustion and demoralization of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.