June 29, 2022
The Real Key to Victory in Ukraine
The war in Ukraine has settled into a grinding fight for yards. Ukrainian and Russian forces are shelling each other with medium- and long-range artillery, leaving the already battered villages and towns of the Donbas caught in the crossfire. Like the brutal battles of World War I, the current conflict has seen only small swaths of territory change hands, often being captured and recaptured from one week to the next. Although talk of a rapid victory for either side has largely disappeared from the headlines, analysts and officials still debate what piece of heavy military equipment or new technology might turn the tide in Ukraine’s favor. With Russia running low on supplies and manpower, for instance, retired U.S. Army General Ben Hodges told The Washington Post last week that an influx of more sophisticated Western weaponry could allow the Ukrainians to turn back Russian advances and go on the counteroffensive.
This emerging war of attrition is more likely to come down to “sustainment”—the ability of each side to ensure a relentless influx of troops, ammunition, and heavy equipment to the frontlines in the east.
This emerging war of attrition, however, is more likely to come down to “sustainment”—the ability of each side to ensure a relentless influx of troops, ammunition, and heavy equipment to the frontlines in the east, especially as the conflict drags on and international attention dissipates. Logistics, financial management, personnel services, and health services will all be central to this effort, determining which side is better able to replace its depleted units, resupply and maintain its equipment, and source food, fuel, and ammunition. The Russian military is clearly showing signs of strain, especially when it comes to reinforcing its troops after heavy losses. But so are the Ukrainians, who in recent weeks have warned that they are running out of ammunition and losing as many as 200 soldiers per day.
Read the full article from Foreign Affairs.
More from CNAS
-
There’s a Way Forward for Sovereign European Space Intel, but Is There the Will?
Commentary
This article was originally published in Space News. Germany’s top intelligence officials made waves last year by calling for the creation of a European spy network to lessen ...
By Cameron Olbert
-
Video
Indo-Pacific Security / Transatlantic Security
Top Experts Decode India-U.S. Trade Deal | Questions Loom Over Russian Oil Imports, $500Bn InvestmentIn this episode of India Ascends, amid US President Donald Trump's claim that India has agreed to halt purchases of Russian oil, New Delhi has reiterated that ensuring energy ...
By Daniel Silverberg
-
Commentary
Transatlantic Security / Energy, Economics & Security
Want to Stop Trump Bullying Your Country? RetaliateThis article was originally published in The Guardian. In February of last year, Donald Trump convened the first full cabinet meeting of his second term in the White House. He...
By Edward Fishman
-
Carney's Challenge: Can Europe Take the Reins of NATO?
Podcast
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney made headlines at this year's World Economic Forum in Davos with his speech in which he declared that the international system is in the mi...
By Andrea Kendall-Taylor & Jim Townsend
