What Should AFU Do In New Stage Of War?

Illusion in war is a defeat that costs the future.

Zelensky said in an interview with the Associated Press that a new stage of the war had begun. Among the positive results of the Ukrainian offensive, the president mentioned the fact that the AFU did not retreat and continued to fight. However, he admitted that Ukraine wanted faster results, which were not achieved.

In such a situation, it is important to increase domestic arms production and receive new assistance from allies - arms production licences, loans that could be affordable for the Ukrainian economy.

Zelensky acknowledged the inadequacy of arms supplies from allies, but stressed that he could not complain.

Zelensky sees the world's distraction from what is going on as a serious problem for the future course of the war in Ukraine. Among the signs that this focus is changing, he cited an increased interest in the world's new existential conflicts, particularly Israel's war against Hamas. Only a blind man could fail to see this factor.

So what is to be done in this new phase of war? An interview with the former commander-in-chief of the AFU, General Viktor Muzhenko, sheds some light on this question. In the BBC material, Muzhenko stressed that after what happened on the front this year, we need to talk about the need for active defence. It is such an active defence that can create real chances for the AFU's victory in the future. Strategically active defence can provide for counter-attacks and, if successful in certain parts of the front, even counter-attacks at the unit level.

We need to reformat the front, to create a qualitatively powerful reserve, not just a quantitative one. We are talking about having real military mechanisms: brigades, corps, etc. Equipped, trained and with high morale.

Active defence also requires fortifications on those parts of the front that could be important targets for the Russians.

Russia's objectives in a war of conquest have not changed at all. This was recently confirmed by the foreign minister of the aggressor state, Sergei Lavrov, at a press conference in northern Macedonia. He emphasised that Russia was committed to fulfilling the objectives of the SWO and saw no signs of a political solution to the situation.

Zelensky does not consider the possibility of negotiations with Russia, although it seems to me that this is more a question for the head of the Kremlin, Vladimir Putin, who sincerely believes that the years-long war with Ukraine will put an end to the existence of our state.

General Muzhenko also spoke about the danger of a ceasefire for Ukraine. According to him, if the enemy demands a ceasefire in a situation that is not critical for it, it means that Russia has certain plans for this ceasefire. It would like to use it to increase its military-technical reserves and prepare another attack on Ukraine, which would have to be bigger and more serious than it is able to carry out now.

Therefore, we can state that neither in Kyiv nor in Moscow do they realistically see any possibilities for settling the war, which is becoming permanent. Kiev is sure that any reconciliation with Russia is a path to a new war, while Moscow, strangely enough, does not even think about such a reconciliation, believing that a war of attrition would give Russia a much greater and more exhaustive chance to destroy it. Ukraine.

In this situation, Ukraine must clearly define the actions that will be the most correct at the new stage of the war with Russia. Not to make new mistakes that will lead to new disappointments.

First of all, victory depends on how correct the tasks set by the country's military and political leadership are and how realistic the future prospects of the country's population, which is becoming a victim of permanent war, are.

Illusion in war is a defeat that costs the future. Everyone who makes decisions that will determine the new stage of Ukraine's war with Russia should think about this and understand it.

Vitaly Portnikov, Youtube