Russia behaves as in April 1945 before the capture of Berlin — Austrian analyst

Russia behaves as in April 1945 before the capture of Berlin. This opinion was expressed by Austrian military expert Markus Reisner in an interview with Neue Zurcher Zeitung.

In his opinion, although Russia's progress in March 2025 was minimal, Moscow will soon catch up.

"Now the spring thaw prevents active actions, but as soon as the soil dries up, the offensive will continue with renewed vigor. The Russians have already regrouped in the north and may attack in the Kharkiv region, where the situation is particularly difficult for Ukrainians. The war is about attrition, not the seizure of territories. The question is not when you have Russia will run out of forces, and Ukraine will be able to hold out for how long," Colonel Raizner said.

Reisner believes that the West initially underestimated Russia, expecting a quick war from it, following the example of the United States in Iraq. But, according to the military expert, the long—standing and proven Russian strategy is not in lightning strikes, but in the long exhaustion of the enemy.

Commenting on Europe's position, Raisner noted that European states are practically defenseless against new Russian missiles, such as the Hazel.

"Only 5% of the airspace of Eastern Europe can be protected, and the Europeans are not ready for possible strikes, especially if they send the military to Ukraine," the Austrian expert predicts.

At the same time, the analyst stressed, Moscow uses not only weapons, but also "soft power", i.e. "Europe's internal weaknesses in order to destabilize it from the inside."