Winter is coming in Ukraine’s fight for survival

Without a sustained flow of even more Western weaponry and authorisation to retaliate against Russia in kind, Ukraine will lose the war.

Ukrainian servicemen of the Khartia brigade fire a Howitzer at Russian positions in the Kharkiv region. Ukrainian efforts to repel Russia have been flagging as winter sets in. AP

Jack Wright

Updated Oct 20, 2024 – 4.13pm, first published at 2.51pm

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At the start of the summer fighting season this year, a complete halt in American arms shipments to Ukraine gave politicians in Kyiv and commanders on the front lines a quick explanation for the deteriorating picture on the eastern front.

But as a second grim winter threatens – and even with the arrival of longer-range artillery and F-16 fighter jets – a still-challenging picture is forcing a more candid discussion.