No clear winner possible in Ukraine war, NATO admiral says

Bauer said, that a classic military victory for either side is currently unlikely. This is because there are now 700,000 Russian soldiers on the occupied territory of Ukraine.

In his view, it will be difficult to force Russian forces out, and "we all need to learn a lesson from this."

The admiral noted that if, in 2022, they had provided everything when Ukraine was successfully retaking its territory from Russian forces between April and August of that year, and if they had given Ukraine everything it had asked for, then the outcome of the war would likely have been very, very different.

At the same time, he believes that Russia has already strategically lost this war, which has led to it becoming a satellite of China. Without China's support, the Russians would not have been able to continue this war in Ukraine, he added.

Bauer said that from a military perspective, no scenario in which Russia could emerge from this war as a winner can be imagined.

Situation on the front line

Earlier, Ukraine’s military intelligence (HUR) reported that Russia is preparing a new offensive in southeastern Ukraine, involving strategic reserves. It is also planning to deploy an additional 20,000 servicemen to strengthen its occupying forces.

The Center for Countering Disinformation said the Kremlin is considering at least three scenarios for the war in Ukraine, ranging from continuing hostilities to freezing the conflict and conducting hybrid aggression against NATO countries.

Meanwhile, Deputy Head of the Presidential Office and Brigadier General Pavlo Palisa noted that Russian losses in Donbas have tripled, while advances remain minimal.

According to him, despite Russia’s ambitious plans for 2026, the enemy currently lacks the real forces to implement them.