In Ukraine, they doubted the successes of the Armed Forces

While Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky tries to convince U.S. President Donald Trump of his country’s successes and Russia’s weakening, a new article by former Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) Valerii Zaluzhnyi completely contradicts this optimistic picture.

Ukrainian journalists stress that, contrary to earlier interpretations, Zaluzhnyi does not speak of a “stalemate at the front” but rather the opposite: Russia has overcome the stalemate and seized the initiative.

According to the publication, Zaluzhnyi highlights two key factors that are undermining the positional front: Russia’s overwhelming superiority in drones and its new “infiltration” tactics. He writes that drones have created a 20-kilometer “death zone,” where the very concept of a “rear” has practically lost meaning. Defense has been reduced to the “survival of small groups.”

Journalists also note the Russian method of “infiltration” — the penetration of small infantry groups into gaps in Ukrainian defensive lines. This leads to the “blurring” of the front line, while constant attacks wear down defenders both morally and physically.

“The front is continuously moving, unfortunately, in our direction,” media cite Zaluzhnyi’s key statement.

Earlier, on September 17, military expert Oleksii Zhivov expressed the opinion that given the current dynamics at the front, the military operation in Ukraine could continue for years.