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A retired US general told insiders that Ukraine could push Russian troops back to prewar borders.
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Lieutenant General Ben Hodges said Ukraine’s ability to do so continues to rest on Western support.
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He said the Russian army was “exhausted” and “there isn’t much else they can do now.”
Ukraine could push Russian troops back to prewar borders by 2023 as President Vladimir Putin’s army is “exhausted”.
Lieutenant General Ben Hodges, a former U.S. Army commander in Europe, told insiders that Ukraine’s ability to push Russian troops back to existing borders relies on continued Western support. Sanctions And weapons delivery..
“Russians are exhausted,” Hodges said. “They can’t do much else now.”
He added that much of Putin’s army was already involved in the war, but Russia had little territorial success to show its efforts after the 20-week war.
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According to Hodges, the “total weight” of Western support is Long range rocket system — A weapon that Ukraine has begged the United States and its allies for weeks.
He added that one of the keys to Ukraine’s success is to knock out Russia’s “only advantage” of Putin’s cannon and rocket arsenal.
“Where the Russians don’t have the overwhelming firepower advantage, the Ukrainians seem to win 100 out of 100,” Hodges said. “So, providing Ukraine’s ability to attack Russian cannons, Russian rockets, their ammunition depots, and command post is destroying and confusing one thing the Russians have. It will be in their interest. “
Ukraine maintains a significant morale advantage, according to Hodges, but Russian troops are plagued by a lack of resources and capabilities. “Meaningful progress” On the battlefield.
Still, Russia has seen some gradual progress in the eastern part of Ukraine Don Bus An area where conflict emerged as a deadly and slow-moving campaign to exchange cannons after Putin’s troops were unable to occupy the capital Kyiv.
Mr Hodges said the Russian army was ready to continue fighting the “war of attrition” because “it couldn’t do anything else”, and Putin hoped that the West would lose interest in supporting Ukraine. Due to domestic issues such as gas prices and inflation, which said it could drag conflicts until the end of the year.
According to Hodges, the War of Attrition requires unlimited time, ammunition and personnel in Russia. They seem to have enough ammunition, he said, British intelligence On Monday, he said a shortage of troops could force the Kremlin to be recruited from prison.
But Hodges said, “I think they have a little time to spare. If the West sticks throughout the year, I think it’s over.”
Many Western nations participated in numerous slaps during the war Sanctions Providing requests to Russia and Ukraine weapons..In turn, Putin tried threaten When Apply pressure West for widespread support in Ukraine.
The war also pushed Western nations to unite in a historic way.Last month, the European Union unveiled Ukraine Candidate country While NATO joins the block invitation Finland and Sweden joined the alliance at a show of rebellion against Putin.
“If we don’t stick, and if we don’t realize what we said, I think the Russians will be happy to settle down in a long war, where they just keep invading and destroy Ukraine. We will do everything we can to destroy the country, destroy its economy, and destroy Ukraine’s thinking as a nation. “
Read the original article Business insider