Ukraine faces bleak winter as Russia ramps up assaults, US support trickles in
Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. KYIV, Ukraine—The war in Ukraine is barreling toward the end of its third year, with Russia pursuing relentless offensives despite heavy losses and Western leaders groping for a strategy to end the conflict. With Western weapons deliveries limited and slow, Ukraine is facing a bleak winter.
Its outnumbered and outgunned military is slowly but steadily losing ground on the main eastern front, trying to exact a heavy toll on Russia while minimizing its own losses. Russian missile-and-drone attacks targeting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure are overwhelming the country’s air defenses, forcing rolling blackouts across the country that could worsen in winter. Ukrainian troops are clinging to important strategic locations in the east, such as the high-lying city of Chasiv Yar, facing waves of Russian infantry and massive glide bombs that pulverize buildings.
But in recent weeks, Russia has claimed the city of Vuhledar, advanced toward the logistics hub of Pokrovsk and prodded forward in other towns. President Biden and other Western leaders have repeatedly said they want Ukraine to prevail, but are providing insufficient support to stop Russia and turn the tide, say Ukrainian officials and soldiers. More worrying for Kyiv, former President Donald Trump has said that if he wins the November presidential election he would seek a quick peace deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has made clear he wants Ukraine’s capitulation.
Russia, meanwhile, is planning to increase military spending by one-quarter next year, signaling its long-term commitment to overpowering its smaller neighbor. On visits to European capitals and the U.S. in recent weeks, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky
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