>>>But I imagine any gains would be lost eventually after Russia mobilized.
>>Ukraine had all the momentum in 2022. That was the time to sever the land bridge.
>>The only catch is that Ukraine may be short of ammo at that time.
Many things may have been different. Wagner would probably not have been focused on Bahkmut they would probably be directed to help reestablish the land bridge.
UKR would still have air power issues too.
Doesn’t matter now. This report sounds like CYA for Zalushni for what is to come when UKR accepts that they have lost.
Russia views NATO encroachment as an existential threat. While NATO/EU view NATO expansion as a nice-to-have. So Russia would probably outlast NATO/EU either way.
It would be difficult for Ukraine to establish air defense if they are overextended.
During the counteroffensive, the Russians were able to use their air power with some effectiveness.
For most of the war, the Russians had to sideline their air power because the Ukrainians can shoot them down quite easily.