Valerii Zaluzhnyi, Ukraine’s Ambassador to the United Kingdom and former Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, has said that significant breakthroughs on the battlefield are unlikely before 2027 due to ongoing technical and evolutionary processes.
He said this in an interview with Ukrainska Pravda, Ukrinform reports.
“The attacking side loses its ability to execute operational tasks. What does this mean? It refers to advancing 150-200 kilometers in depth, as outlined in Soviet-era standards. The emergence of robots on the battlefield has made it nearly impossible for soldiers to maneuver. This inability to combat robots created a stalemate. We couldn’t advance against the Russians, and they couldn’t advance against us either,” Zaluzhnyi said.
He noted that this stalemate persists: “We still don’t see the Russians capable of achieving operational tasks, such as advancing 150-200 kilometers in a week.”
According to Zaluzhnyi, technological advancements and the accumulation of necessary resources will eventually restore the potential for such maneuvers. “Based on my calculations, this could happen sometime after 2027. However, this is not definitive, considering the economic and demographic context and the likelihood of wars on such a scale to claim enemy territory,” he added.
Zaluzhnyi suggested that Russia is likely to continue relying on its current “extermination” tactic, which focuses on the destruction of Ukraine’s economic and moral state.
“On the battlefield, we don’t see deep breakthroughs by the enemy. Instead, they gradually force us out of positions, incurring significant losses in the process. Their strategy also involves targeting our economy and civilian infrastructure. They calculate missile trajectories to ensure our interception systems strike near populated areas,” Zaluzhnyi said.
He also highlighted Russia’s information campaign aimed at undermining Ukraine’s mobilization efforts.
“This involves cognitive operations designed to shift Ukrainians’ attitudes towards the war. As a result, we face challenges with personnel at the front, which ultimately causes us to gradually lose ground,” he said.
Despite this, Zaluzhnyi emphasized that Russia is not in a position to expand its front significantly, as such efforts would require the resources it currently lacks.
Source: Major breakthroughs on frontline unlikely before 2027 – Zaluzhnyi
