Ukraine's 'Iron General' says he needs more airpower and powerful missiles to break Russia's lines

• Ukraine's top general said the country's counteroffensive is unlikely to break through Russia's lines.
• Gen. Valerii Zaluzhnyi detailed the developments Ukraine must prioritize in an Economist op-ed.
• Air power, electronic warfare, and mine-breaching technology are chief among the priorities. 

The commander-in-chief of Ukraine's Armed Forces publicly acknowledged that Ukraine's ongoing counteroffensive is unlikely to break through Russian lines without the aid of significant technological and weaponry assistance.

Gen. Valerii Zaluzhnyi, known as Ukraine's "Iron General," published an op-ed in The Economist this week detailing the specific equipment and developments Ukraine must prioritize to end the current stalemate and win the war against Russia.

"There will most likely be no deep and beautiful breakthrough," the general told the outlet of Ukraine's current counter offensive.

Chief among Ukraine's dire needs, Zaluzhnyi wrote, is air power.

"Control of the skies is essential to large-scale ground operations," the general wrote.

Ukraine has been able to bolster its air defense capabilities in recent months with the help of US missiles, but the country is still facing an uphill battle in the skies as Russia maintains a "significant advantage" in its ability to build new attack squadrons which hinders Ukraine's chances of meaningfully advancing, Zaluzhnyi said.

In a separate story also published by The Economist this week, Zaluzhnyi told the outlet that pre-offensive planning indicated Ukraine should be able to move at a speed of 30 kilometers a day. But in the five months since Ukraine began its much anticipated counter offensive, the country has advanced just 17 kilometers total.

The counteroffensive has proven disappointing for Western officials who hoped a significant push by Ukraine might convince Russian President Vladimir Putin to reconsider his commitment to war.

Minefields in the east have slowed Ukrainian troops to a near standstill, while Russian artillery and drones impede Ukraine's Western equipment.

As it became clear the offensive was off to a slow start, Zaluzhnyi told The Economist he initially implemented command changes, believing his troops were responsible for the offensive's struggles. The general, however, said he ultimately realized the level of technological development on both sides has led to the current stalemate.

"The simple fact is that we see everything the enemy is doing and they see everything we are doing," Zaluzhnyi said. "In order for us to break this deadlock we need something new, like the gunpowder which the Chinese invented and which we are still using to kill each other."

Ukraine's second priority behind air power is electronic warfare, which includes jamming communications and navigation signals, Zaluzhnyi wrote. Such equipment will be the "key to victory" in a drone war that has increasingly been dominated by cheap but powerful first-person-view drones that can take out expensive equipment by dropping explosive charges.

Zaluzhnyi warned that Russia is outdoing Ukraine in its development of electronic warfare equipment.

Among the other important assets for Ukraine's cause are counter-battery fire, mine-breaching technology, and the build-up of troop reserves, the general wrote.

Though a major financial supporter of Ukraine, the US has thus far stalled or avoided entirely giving the country top technology in an effort to avoid being pulled into a war with Russia.

"They are not obliged to give us anything, and we are grateful for what we have got, but I am simply stating the facts," Zaluzhnyi said of Ukraine's need for more advanced equipment.

Without the development or donations of advanced equipment, Ukraine risks the war becoming even more drawn-out, which is exactly what Putin is hoping for, Zaluzhnyi said.

"It is important to understand that this war cannot be won with the weapons of the past generation and outdated methods," he said. "They will inevitably lead to delay and, as a consequence, defeat."