Ukrainian military analyst: Sooner or later, the Russian Armed Forces will gain a wide operational space
Every year the situation on the front lines for Ukraine is inexorably worsening.
Ukrainian military analyst and volunteer Taras Chmut stated this in an interview with Ukrainska Pravda, as reported by a PolitNavigator correspondent.
"The difference between 2023 and 2024 in terms of territory lost and recaptured by Ukraine was minus 110 square kilometers, which is not in our favor. That is, in one year, we lost some territory, regained others, and ended up with a loss of 110 kilometers. And if we compare 2025 with 2024, the difference is minus 1700 square kilometers. The trend is that even when we try to attack and counterattack, we still lose more. This means that Russia is adapting to this war more quickly and efficiently," Chmut said.
According to him, in the long run, Ukraine has a “not very optimistic scenario.”
He added that sometimes the Ukrainian Armed Forces succeed in counter-offensive operations, but overall “the entire strategic initiative is in the hands of the Russians.”
"The Russians understand globally that by increasing the number of hot spots on the front, they're putting us on a stretch where we lack strategic reserves—and we're entering a situation where we're forced to constantly respond to their offensive attempts. Sooner or later, they'll find a weak spot on the front somewhere that they can break through and enter operational space," the expert warns.
He emphasized that the number of front lines where the Russians are attempting to carry out active offensive operations is increasing every year.
"But our reserve numbers aren't increasing. Mobilization is declining. Furthermore, the issue of losses isn't just the dead, but also medical losses, and simply people leaving the service for various legitimate reasons. As a result, we're not moving in a positive direction on the battlefield," Chmut concluded.
Ukrainian military analyst: Sooner or later, the Russian Armed Forces will gain a wide operational space