Russia and Ukraine Assess After 1000 Days of War: 'The Pot of People is not Endless'

ukraine, russia - After a thousand days of war, Ukraine and Russia assess the situation of a war of attrition where no winner is yet emerging.

After a thousand days of war, Ukraine and Russia assess the situation of a war of attrition where no winner is yet emerging. The panic on the Ukrainian side was soon replaced by determination. The Russians lost their bravado when the advance towards Kiev stalled, tactical errors mounted, and the morale among soldiers was abysmal. Russia squeezed out a small success with the conquest of Bakhmut after a winter offensive, but that came at a heavy cost. Read more on Telegraaf.nl.

Subsequently, optimism in Ukraine waned. Last spring, all eyes were on the highly publicized counteroffensive. Helped by Western missiles, air defense, armored vehicles, and tanks, the Russians were supposed to be resolutely pushed back. However, the breakthrough came to a halt in Russian minefields.

Colonel Patrick Bolder, an analyst at the Hague Center for Strategic Studies, said, 'Ukraine has held out much better than many thought, first independently and then with support from Western countries. They have been able to rebuild their own defense industry, which is important in the long term. But at the cost of immense losses, including many lives. But, on the other hand, for Russia, it's not much different. They are now facing 1,500 deaths and serious injuries per day. It has been calculated that at this rate, it will take 120 years to conquer Ukraine.'

The main question seems to be which country can endure the attrition war the longest without collapsing. Estimates of the number of deaths and injuries vary, but according to a Ukrainian report, there have been more than 80,000 deaths and 400,000 injuries on their side. On the Russian side, more than 200,000 men have died, with at least 400,000 wounded. Ukraine is paying a high price, and with a population four times smaller than Russia's, the impact is harder on Ukraine. Even if they do not lose the war, the country's survival is at risk when an entire generation of men is missing. Millions have fled the country.

Moreover, morale is no longer as high as in the first year of the conflict. Tens of thousands of desertions have occurred. The heavy losses undermine the will to continue fighting. 'We fight tremendously hard,' says a soldier on the front. 'We maintain the defense everywhere, but it is extremely tough. We have the weapons, we have artillery. But the pot of people is not endless.'

Russia, too, faces the risk of implosion. The population has already declined, and large areas are becoming depopulated. Hundreds of thousands of Russians fled the country after the invasion. With the annexation of Crimea, Putin gained another two million citizens. Bolder says, 'They may last longer with North Korean soldiers, but economically, it is going poorly. The interest rate has risen above 20%, no one is buying a house there anymore. The whole economy is now dependent on immigrants because so many workers are on the front lines, wounded, or killed. Xenophobia is high in Russia, especially since the terrorist attack in Moscow. The whole society is permeated with fear and distrust.'