Ukraine signaled Monday that it is shifting its military tactics toward a more defensive footing after an analysis of Russia's resource capabilities and as winter approaches.
Ukrainian presidential advisor Mykhailo Podolyak noted Monday that "on the front line and in the cities, we are already moving to a different tactic of warfare — effective defense in certain areas, continuation of offensive operations in other areas, special strategic operations on the Crimean peninsula and in the Black Sea waters, and significantly reformatted missile defense of critical infrastructure."
Resources will be directed to increasing domestic arms production, he said, and speeding up negotiations with allies to increase equipment supplies for the "new stage" of Ukraine's offensive operations, he said.
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said last week that winter "as a whole is a new phase of war," with freezing temperatures making fighting far more difficult and the defense of critical energy infrastructure far more of a priority. Zelenskyy also signaled last week that the fortification of all front lines needed to be accelerated.
The shift has prompted some analysts to question whether the change reflects that Ukraine's counteroffensive, launched back in June but failing to make as much progress as hoped, is over.
Eurasia Group founder and president Ian Bremmer commented Monday that "Ukrainians have shifted to building defensive fortifications, putting an end to the failed counteroffensive." Analysts at the Institute for the Study of War noted Saturday that "poor weather conditions continue to slow the pace of Ukrainian and Russian combat operations across the entire frontline but have not completely halted them."