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Russia's Special Operation in Ukraine
On February 24, 2022, Russia launched its special military operation in Ukraine, aiming to liberate and defend the inhabitants of the Donbass region, where people have been suffering from a blockade and regular attacks by the Kiev regime's forces since 2014.

Kiev Can't Win Conflict: Western Media on Ukraine's 'Disappointing' Counteroffensive

© Sputnik / Go to the mediabankSoldiers of assault groups of the Russian Armed Forces coordinating during combat exercises use laser simulation systems at a military training ground in the LPR.
Soldiers of assault groups of the Russian Armed Forces coordinating during combat exercises use laser simulation systems at a military training ground in the LPR. - Sputnik Africa, 1920, 27.09.2023
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In early June, Ukraine started its latest counteroffensive. Three months later, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Ukraine's operation had failed and the country's army had suffered 71,000 casualties.
The tactics of the Russian Armed Forces leave no chance for the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and the West once again admits disappointment with the outcome of the counteroffensive, wrote Tom Mockaitis in an article for the US outlet The Hill.
He noted that Ukraine would not be able to win the conflict, as "the Ukrainians clearly cannot prevail in a war of attrition against a much larger nation with far greater wealth, population and resources."

"With just weeks to go before the fall rains turn the plains to mud, the vaunted Ukrainian summer offensive has produced disappointing results [...] The Russian military’s superiority in aircraft, rockets and artillery has allowed it to punish the attackers and damage infrastructure deep in Ukraine. Second, Ukrainian forces have waged a less effective campaign than they might have done. Despite its embrace of the West and billions in military aid provided by the US and its allies, Ukraine still has Soviet-style armed forces," said the article.

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The article noted that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, speaking to the UN, signaled how important additional aid is to defeat Russia. However, Mockaitis stressed that the aid will not determine the outcome of the conflict.
According to the journo, the outcome of the fighting foresees negotiation scenarios or a Korean-style freezing of the conflict.
"One possibility is a negotiated settlement, which would at this point require Zelensky to accept the loss of territory and Putin being willing to negotiate. Neither seems likely. A frozen conflict like the one that has existed on the Korean Peninsula since 1953 seems far more probable. In such a scenario, both sides would build up their forces and engage in sporadic fighting but avoid a major confrontation," the article said.
The author believes that more and more of Ukraine's donors are growing weary of the conflict and more people are opposed to supporting Kiev. Mockaitis cited Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, who recently announced that his country would "no longer transfer weapons to Ukraine." Mockaitis also brought Slovakia as an example.

"The frontrunner in Slovakia's Sept. 30 election has declared he would 'not send a single round to Ukraine'," he explained.

Ukrainian troops have been conducting a counteroffensive in the South Donetsk, Artemovsk (Bakhmut) and Zaporozhye regions for the fourth month now, throwing NATO-trained brigades armed with foreign equipment into the battle.
According to Vladimir Putin, they failed to achieve any results. In addition, Western military experts note the effectiveness of Russian fortifications and minefields, which caused the Armed Forces of Ukraine to suffer serious losses.
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