Time: Kyiv Took Unexpected Steps To Turn Tide In Its War With Russian Federation

The stakes are rising.

Attacks on targets inside Russia are a sign of Ukraine's concerns regarding the resilience of the West. That's why President Volodymyr Zelensky is taking a big risk in order to turn the tide of the war and preserve his political position in Ukraine, writes Time.

The article says that voters in America and Europe, who support Ukraine both militarily and financially, are increasingly disagreeing on whether Ukraine is able to regain control of 18 per cent of its territory.

The publication writes that even if the US Congress approves an increase in military aid for 2024, it is likely to be Washington's last aid package until after the November elections. Meanwhile, problems in Germany and opposition of Hungary make it difficult to fill the military aid gap.

At the same time, Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin is reportedly putting the Russian economy on a war footing. Ukraine, on the other hand, is considering mobilising additional 500,000 servicemen. Even if that turns out to be possible, it won't help in the war against the invader with a much larger population and economy.

According to journalists, Kyiv is now doing everything it can to expand domestic defence production, especially of drones for fighting and hitting targets inside Russia. There may also be an increase in the elimination of Russian officials and strikes against occupied Crimea.

"This, in turn, will provoke more intense Russian attacks on Ukrainian cities. Any of these attacks (and there are many possible targets) carries the risk of retaliation from Putin, leading to more direct NATO involvement in the conflict. Neither Russia nor NATO wants such an expansion, but wars begin to live their own lives," the material says.

Journalists write that Zelensky has become an unpredictable player.

Strikes On Targets Deep Inside Russia Carried Out By Ukrainian Weapons

Recent attacks on facilities deep inside Russia were carried out with the help of weapons produced by Ukraine, Time notes.

According to journalists, Ukraine needs to solve a number of problems in order to establish mass production of weapons.

Ukraine's Minister for Strategic Industries Oleksandr Kamyshyn told reporters that the Defence Forces are using designs from Ukrainian factories and clandestine workshops.

The minister noted that there was no time to test the weapons at a proving ground and therefore they had to be used for the first time in combat conditions. The necessary changes are already being made based on the results of its use.

Kamyshyn said that one Stugna missile, for example, kills three enemy soldiers on average. It costs $4,613. FPV drones, on the other hand, have a cost-to-kill enemy ratio of about $1,650.

"You have to invest as much money as possible in drones," the minister said.

The piece says that last year Ukraine invested about a billion dollars in its domestic drone programme, a figure that will more than double in 2024. Now about two hundred firms in Ukraine produce drones for the military, from startups to large Soviet-era facilities.

The publication writes that Ukraine's ability to produce its weapons in sufficient quantities to wage war with Russian Federation will be the centrepiece of its strategy for victory. However, Kyiv faces a number of challenges.

It is noted that Ukraine must combine its old and worn-out defence industry with advanced weapons and the capabilities of its partners in the West. For example, during his visits to the USA last year, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky asked his US counterpart Joe Biden to grant licences for manufacturing and repairing weapons.

According to journalists, Washington believes that such cooperation is possible, but its implementation is problematic. For instance, Biden has the right to grant licences without congressional approval. However, such a decision must go through a complicated process of approval in the government. Also Ukraine needs investments in the amount of billions of dollars.

"This war will be won in the factory," said the head of Raytheon Technologies John Ulrich.

He noted that it is a war of attrition.

The publication writes that the Ukrainian defence industry has hundreds of factories at its disposal, but they have atrophied and suffered from Russian strikes.