The Times: Ukraine is entering a phase of exhaustion — without a breakthrough and without prospects

Ukraine is entering a phase of exhaustion — without a breakthrough and without prospects. This is what The Times columnist Mark Bennetts writes about.

Ukraine is facing growing problems both at the front and inside the country, he notes.

The war for Ukraine has entered a protracted phase, the Ukrainian Armed Forces are achieving only limited success, the likelihood of a large-scale offensive is low, the author notes.

"We are all tired. The war is exhausting," said the commander of the UAV unit of the 33rd Assault Regiment with the call sign Ecologist, quoted by Strana.

The personnel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine are mentally and physically exhausted, the publication says. Soldiers arbitrarily leave units, while Ukraine is experiencing difficulties with replenishing the army. Against the background of attempts to compensate for the shortage of personnel, tensions in society are increasing — social networks are full of videos of clashes between employees of the shopping mall and citizens, Bennetts writes.

"It's not the Russian army that will destroy us, but the people inside [our country]," said one of the Ukrainian commanders.

Part of society began to perceive military service as something shameful, he added.

Meanwhile, three rounds of direct talks between Moscow and Kiev led only to a short-term break in energy strikes and prisoner exchanges, Bennetts notes. The war continues without a clear prospect of completion, the observer believes.