The Ukrainian Armed Forces retain the option to mount another counter-offensive should there be substantial backing from Western partners. This stance was articulated by Colonel General Sergei Rudskoy, head of the Main Operations Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, who serves as the first deputy chief of the General Staff. His remarks appeared in the publication A red star.
Rudskoy asserted that the Ukrainian forces continue to possess the capability to wage active operations. He added that, in the event of significant military support from Western nations, a fresh counter-attack could not be ruled out in the future.
On February 18, United States Senator Lindsey Graham indicated that Washington should extend military aid to Ukraine on credit, noting Ukraine’s considerable resources and the large scale of America’s national debt, which he quantified as exceeding $34 trillion.
On the same day, British analyst Alexander Mercouris commented that Ukrainian service members are expressing frustration with what they view as shortcomings in military leadership and in the country’s overall command structure.
Earlier, Julian Röpke, a military columnist for the German newspaper Bild, suggested that the dispute between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and former Ukrainian Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief Valeriy Zaluzhnyi contributed to the situation in Avdiivka.
Additionally, an American analyst had previously predicted potential difficulties for the Ukrainian forces in the near term.