Putin thinks Russia can win war of attrition, says ISW
Photo: Russian leader Vladimir Putin (Getty Images)
The Russian military command continues to demonstrate its commitment to President Vladimir Putin’s theory of victory, which holds that Russia can win a war of attrition against Ukraine, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reports.
The report recalled Putin’s statement on Thursday, September 18, that more than 700,000 Russian soldiers are deployed on the Ukrainian front. Earlier, on September 17, Russian Chief of the General Staff Army General Valery Gerasimov declared that Russian forces are advancing on “practically all fronts” of the war.
ISW experts believe that such messages from Putin and Gerasimov correspond to the broader theory of victory, according to which Russia has the resources and combat capabilities for endless gradual advances and thus to defeat Ukraine in a war of attrition.
According to analysts, this concept is based on the assumption that Russia will be able to outlast Western support for Ukraine and exhaust the Defense Forces’ ability to resist aggression.
The Institute also recalled Putin’s repeated statements that he considers it possible to achieve his military objectives on the battlefield, even if Russian advances are slow.
In the Russian President’s view, his army will be able to use its numerical advantage in manpower and resources to overwhelm the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
“Putin’s and Gerasimov’s recent statements are part of wider Kremlin efforts to push Ukraine and the West to immediately acquiesce to Putin’s maximalist demands out of fear that a Russian victory is inevitable and that Russian aggression will only increase in the future,” ISW noted.
Trump also expressed hope for a swift end to the war and promised “good news.”
