How long would it take Russia to seize Ukraine? UN rep gives a blunt answer
Photo: Ukraine's Permanent Representative to the UN Andriy Melnyk (RBC-Ukraine, Vitalii Nosach)
Ukraine's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Andriy Melnyk, said that Ukraine rejects Russian ultimatums and will not give up a single square millimeter of its territory, according to Ukrinform.
'Russia's burning through its own population'
Melnyk stressed that Ukraine is fighting for its homeland, while Russia is "burning through its own population." He cited estimates showing that for every square kilometer of Ukrainian territory captured, Russia loses an average of 254 troops.
"Russia is achieving minimal territorial gain at an extraordinarily high human price," he said.
For comparison, during the Winter War of 1939-1940, the cost was roughly a hundred times lower.
How many more Russians would need to die to seize Donbas
According to Melnyk, to fully occupy the Donetsk region, Vladimir Putin would have to send at least 1.5 million additional soldiers to their deaths. That would more than double Russia's current losses to over 3 million.
"Even for Mr. Putin, for whom the value he attaches to the life of his own citizens appears to be less than a penny, such a figure would be catastrophic," the diplomat said.
An attempt to occupy all of Ukraine at the current pace would require more than 122 million Russian soldiers' lives, and the war itself would last around 183 years.
Rejection of ultimatums
Melnyk emphasized that Russia is demanding the withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from the Donetsk region as a condition for negotiations. However, Ukraine rejects any kind of ultimatum.
"We will never, ever abandon a single square millimeter of our soil. And we will never, ever abandon any of our fellow citizens," he said.
He also sarcastically referred to Putin as a "military genius," noting that he cannot fail to understand that his goal of capturing Ukraine will never be achieved by military means.
Earlier, the Baltic Defense Initiative released a forecast suggesting that Russia could force Baltic states to capitulate in just 90 days. It would not even need to deploy ground forces—massive missile and drone strikes would suffice.
Meanwhile, the Kremlin hinted at the possible use of Article 51 of the UN Charter. The pretext involves accusations that Finland and the Baltic states are allowing Ukrainian drones to pass through for strikes on Russian territory. This warning came from former Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu.
In addition, Sweden believes that Russia could soon seize one of the islands in the Baltic Sea as a way to test NATO’s response to a provocation.
