A look ahead. Prospects for continued Russian war against Ukraine in 2025
After more than a thousand days of war, there are signs that Ukraine is short on manpower. Russia is capitalizing, seizing territory faster this year than it has since 2022, and terrorizing Ukrainians with cheaply produced glide bombs, old Soviet-era munitions. retrofitted with wings and GPS.
Last fall, we spoke with Colonel Maxim Balagura, the commander of the Special Forces of the State Border Guard Forces of Ukraine, and asked whether Russia's use of cruise bombs changed the trajectory of the war.
“They are the biggest threat right now,” he told us. “They are undermining our soldiers' motivation to win.”
Ukrainians fought in August in the largest foreign invasion of Russian territory since World War II.
But in October we found a gloomy and uneasy mood in Kyiv. Ukrainians told us they fear that if Donald Trump wins the US election, he will cut off arms supplies and pressure the Ukrainian government to hand over territories.
One woman, Halina, told us that her husband was serving in the army and hoped that the Americans would not abandon them.
I asked, are you worried that Donald Trump might stop supplying arms to Ukraine?
“Yes,” he replied, “it's a matter of survival for us.”
After the election, President Joe Biden finally authorized Ukraine to strike Russia with US-supplied ATACMs, missiles with a range of about 200 miles, perhaps in an attempt to help Ukraine maximize its gains before Trump takes office.
Without a steady stream of American weapons, Ukraine's frontline could collapse. That would be a huge victory for Russian President Vladimir Putin. He has been waiting for the West's unity and resolve to collapse in this crushing war of attrition.
Story produced by Mark Hudspeth Editing by Ed Givnish.
