Retired Austrian Lieutenant General Christian Segur-Cabanac described Ukraine’s ongoing defense against a much larger Russian force as something “between a miracle and a sensation.”
Segur-Cabanac, who now heads the Society for Political and Strategic Studies (STRATEG), said this in an exclusive comment to Ukrinform’s Vienna-based correspondent.
He said that at the start of the invasion, he thought the campaign would last only a few weeks — just as it had likely been planned by Moscow. However, once it became clear that Russia’s rigid adherence to doctrinal warfare was being met by Ukraine’s more flexible and adaptive use of forces and resources, it became evident that this would not be a short campaign. The fact that Ukraine has held out for over three years still strikes him as remarkable, lying “somewhere between a miracle and a sensation,” he said.
Against this backdrop, Segur-Cabanac said that the Ukrainian Armed Forces had demonstrated determination, military ingenuity, innovation, and the capacity to master new methods and technologies, enabling them to stand up to a far larger adversary.
At the same time, he stressed that Russia’s advantage in material and human resources remains significant. In his opinion, continued support from Ukraine’s partners is therefore essential. Without increased military aid, particularly weapons and ammunition from Europe and the United States, he warned, the current balance of forces may eventually tip in Russia’s favor.
The retired general noted that a key factor would be whether the U.S. decides to maintain its financial and material support to Ukraine. That decision, he believes, will be critical to the outcome. European countries, even with the best intentions, would struggle to fully replace American contributions, especially in areas like electronic intelligence.
“These are complex matters,” he said, adding that as a soldier, he can only salute what Ukraine has achieved with its Armed Forces.
Segur-Cabanac also stressed that stopping Russian aggression will require Ukraine’s partners — especially in Europe — to step up their support. This would send a clear signal to Moscow that conquering Ukraine will not be easy. He expressed doubt that Russia currently sees European nations as credible negotiating partners and argued that the only viable path forward is for Europe to increase its financial and material backing of Ukraine. Only by doing so, he said, can the West demonstrate to Russia that its ambitions in Ukraine will not succeed.
He also underlined the importance of sustaining European and U.S. support — military and financial — for the Ukrainian Armed Forces, warning that without it, the situation could worsen.
