This view was expressed in an interview with Ukrinform by Colonel of the Austrian Armed Forces, Head of the Institute for Basic Officer Training at the Theresian Military Academy, Markus Reisner.
“Ukraine succeeds every time it fights unconventionally and acts in ways the enemy does not expect. The Russians, on the other hand, are successful when they manage to force Ukraine to resort to traditional forms of combat, such as a war of attrition,” Reisner said.
He compared the Russian-Ukrainian war to a boxing match in which a larger and stronger opponent tries to use his weight against a more agile opponent.
“We are, in essence, in the tenth round. On one side is the supposedly stronger Russian opponent, comparable to boxer Nikolai Valuev, and on the other is the agile Ukrainian underdog, similar to David Haye, who defeated Valuev,” the military expert noted.
According to him, Russia is trying to drag Ukraine into a sort of “clinch”—that is, to force it into a traditional war of attrition.
“Ukraine must not allow itself to be drawn into this clinch—that is, into this traditional way of waging war. The various capabilities and methods of drone warfare make it possible to operate from a distance,” Reisner stated.
Among the examples of successful unconventional operations, he cited the operation in the Kursk region, Operation Spiderweb, HIMARS strikes against Russian logistics, and attacks on fuel supplies.
“Ukraine achieved success when, for example, it advanced into the Kursk area, carried out Operation Spiderweb, unexpectedly destroyed Russian logistics with HIMARS systems, or began disrupting fuel supplies using Hornet drones—in collaboration with former Google CEO Eric Schmidt,” said Reissner.
He believes that Ukraine’s new defense minister should continue this approach.
Read also:Ukraine currently holds strategic initiative in war, says Austrian expert
“It was precisely at such moments that Ukraine was successful. In my opinion, the new defense minister should continue down this path. If he once again fully immerses himself in the traditional way of waging war, it will not be enough,” the expert emphasized.
As reported by Ukrinform, German Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated that Ukraine has been achieving notable military successes in recent months. At the same time, Russia no longer has any significant territorial gains and will not be able to achieve its war objectives.
Photo: UK in Austria