President Volodymyr Zelensky has admitted that “Ukraine will lose” if the U.S. Congress does not provide him with more aid. The statement necessarily implies the country is on the back foot in its war against Russia, following Vladimir Putin’s “special military operation” that began in February 2022.
“It is necessary to specifically tell Congress that if Congress does not help Ukraine, Ukraine will lose the war,” Zelensky said bluntly on Sunday, claiming that if his forces are defeated, “other states will be attacked.”
The Ukrainian leader’s call for more aid comes as Maksym Zhorin, deputy commander of Zelensky’s 3rd Assault Brigade, has told the Western press the Ukrainian military is now strained to breaking point, with Russian forces continuing to advance following their successful capture of the fortress town of Avdeyevka.
“The average Ukrainian infantryman is tired, exhausted by the dynamics of war, and by the events that have transpired. They are almost faint. Unfortunately, that is the truth,” Zhorin said.
He added that he did not believe Zelensky’s moves to lower the conscription age from 27 to 25 would be enough to address the country’s manpower shortages and that younger Ukrainians would have to be drafted.
“I would decrease the age further. As difficult as this is to say, young people must fight,” he said.
“It is too difficult to keep the older soldiers motivated and they often have chronic health issues. Young people are more motivated, more energetic, and more willing to fight.”
The average age of a Ukrainian soldier is currently 43.
