The U.K. military chief, Admiral Antony Radakin, is "hugely confident" that Ukraine will eventually win the full-scale war despite Russia's recent tactical advances, he said in an interview with Sky News published on June 3.
Moscow launched a new offensive on May 10 in the north of Kharkiv Oblast. By the end of the month, Kyiv said that Russian advance in the sector had been halted and Ukrainian troops were conducting counterattacks.
Radakin insisted that Russia is "failing" despite the ongoing offensive in Kharkiv Oblast and Ukrainian forces' issues with personnel and ammunition shortages.
"Russia is making tactical advances on land," Radakin said.
"But you have got to then step back a little. If you go back to March 2022, Russia had taken about 17% of Ukraine's territory. Today it's got 11%. So, Russia is still in deficit."
Francis Farrell
Answering the question of whether Ukraine prevails in this war, Radakin said he is "hugely confident" it will.
"By the end of June, Russia will have lost 500,000 people – killed and wounded. We are already past 800 days for a war that (Vladimir) Putin anticipated to be three days long. This is tough for Ukraine, but we have to maintain our support."
The head of the U.K. military also said that the Russian leader does not want a war with NATO or a nuclear war.
"We have enormous overmatch because of the strength of NATO," Radakin added, recalling how Western allies downed the vast majority of the drones and missiles during the April Iran attack against Israel.
Iran launched more than 100 ballistic missiles, nearly 200 drones, and tens of cruise missiles, according to Radakin.
"I do not think our potential adversaries would have been able to respond in the way that you saw on the evening of April 13," the U.K. military chief said.
"I think the U.S. leadership and the proficiency that we have with our allies is at a level above our potential foes," he added, referring to Moscow and Beijing.
Igor Kossov
