BEN MORGAN: A bad week for Russia strategically but can Ukraine hold on?

In Ukraine, bloody attritional fighting continues as Russia advances, but strategic-level trends favor Ukraine with Russia’s faltering economy, lack of European response to Putin’s rhetoric, ongoing American aid, and overseas conflicts diverting Russian attention. At the operational level, Ukraine struggles as Russian forces advance, particularly in the north with North Korean soldiers facing casualties and desertion, while Russia incrementally advances in the south towards Kurakhove. Tactical movements in broken country challenge traditional military strategies, highlighting the need for new approaches due to drone surveillance. Putin’s threats are losing effectiveness as European nations prepare for conflict, evident in recent civil defense instructions in Norway, Finland, and Sweden, signaling a shift in attitudes towards readiness for war.

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