Russia is already fighting with shortage of manpower on front lines, - Hnatov
The Russian army’s casualties have nearly matched the number of new recruits, meaning that Russia is effectively conducting military operations with a shortage of personnel.
According to Censor.NET, Andrii Hnatov, Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, made this statement in an interview with Report.az
"Despite its losses, Russia is attempting to continue its offensive operations on a daily basis. The enemy’s main efforts remain focused on the Pokrovsk and Oleksandrivka (Donetsk region) sectors. I can state with certainty that, despite all their efforts, the Russian armed forces have neither strategic nor operational initiative," he said.
According to him, Ukrainian defenders will do everything necessary to stabilize the situation, stop the enemy, and create conditions under which the enemy will be forced to sit down at the negotiating table.
"How long the war will last depends on how willing the Russian leadership is to continue it. Ukraine is ready to end the war and seeks to do so, to ensure peace on its territory where military operations are taking place, and not to resolve these issues by military means. We never intended to wage war. How long this may last depends on their actions. Opinions vary. It is quite difficult to make predictions about this war," Hnatov said.
What led up to this?
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that the Russians are losing five times as many soldiers each month as the Ukrainians, even though Ukraine is a smaller country with a smaller army. He also noted that the Ukrainian armed forces are now the strongest and most powerful in all of Europe—obviously, in large part thanks to the aid they have received, but also because of the combat experience they have gained.
