‘Must prepare for the worst’: The Times writes about fading hopes of an inevitable victory for Ukraine

The hopes for Ukraine’s inevitable victory are dwindling, and the focus is shifting towards preventing the loss of further territories.

This sentiment has been highlighted in an article by the British newspaper The Times.

According to the publication, from President Volodymyr Zelensky to military commanders, no one knows how many more years Ukraine will have to endure this war before Russia can be expelled, and the bombardments halted.

“Victory on the battlefield is improbable right now. This war could last for many years. Russia has the resources for it, and their people will come to terms with it,” stated Colonel Roman Kostenko, a member of Ukraine’s Verkhovna Rada Committee on National Security.

It’s not about surrender, but the atmosphere is markedly different from last year when a series of stunning successes by the Ukrainian Armed Forces raised hopes of an imminent triumph, notes the publication.

“We must hope for the best but prepare for the worst. That’s the reality. When you see the front line, the losses we’ve sustained, the battles we’re forced to wage, it becomes clear that we’re in this for the long haul,” said Ukrainian parliament member Sviatoslav Yurash.

Moscow has increased weapon production, with factories operating round the clock. Additionally, the Kremlin succeeded in bolstering forces through mobilization. Ukrainian generals declared this week that Russia is advancing in the east, and due to a shortage of artillery, troops are forced to scale back some military operations.

“We can’t respond to everything the Russians throw at us. It’s damn painful,” expressed Yurash.

The scale of Ukraine’s losses is classified, but there are no attempts to hide the fact that the losses are immense.

“I don’t even give call signs to the new guys anymore. Most of them don’t live long,” shared a Ukrainian soldier in the Kharkiv region anonymously.

Mikhail Podolyak, an advisor to the head of the President’s Office, suggests that the future could have been much brighter if the West had provided the necessary military assistance to Kyiv more promptly.

“When instead of a month, they take eight months to hand over the weaponry, you physically have nothing to work with,” Podolyak believes.