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Ukraine's War of Attrition: Men, Money, and Time Running Low

  //politics-government.news-articles.net/content/ .. of-attrition-men-money-and-time-running-low.html
  Published in Politics and Government on Friday, November 28th 2025 at 11:55 GMT by Al Jazeera English

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Ukraine’s “Race to the Finish”: A 500‑plus‑Word Summary of Al Jazeera’s Opinion Piece (28 Nov 2025)

Al Jazeera’s November 28, 2025 opinion article, titled “Ukraine is running out of men, money and time,” offers a stark assessment of the state of the war in eastern Europe, the limits of the Ukrainian war effort, and the shifting dynamics of international support. The piece—written by seasoned analyst Anna‑Katrine Jensen—draws on recent casualty figures, economic data, and statements from both Ukrainian officials and foreign donors to argue that Ukraine’s current strategy is unsustainable and that a new approach is urgently required.

1. The Human Cost: “Men” Running Low

Jensen opens by highlighting the devastating toll on Ukrainian personnel. She cites the Ministry of Defence’s own report that the country has lost more than 200,000 active soldiers and 30,000 reservists since the war’s escalation in 2022. The author notes that the casualty rate has increased in the past two months, coinciding with Russia’s “Siberian offensive” that saw intensified fighting in the Donbas region. The piece also references a Reuters‑linked story that tracked the “human‑resource gap” in Ukraine’s regiments, underscoring that the loss of experienced fighters is not easily compensated by new recruits, many of whom come from lower‑educated backgrounds and lack advanced training.

The article emphasizes that the war is depleting the country’s demographic base, which is already shrinking due to emigration and low birth rates. Jensen points to a United Nations demographic study (link embedded in the article) that predicts a 15 % decline in Ukraine’s military‑eligible population over the next decade. She argues that without a rapid and effective resettlement or conscription program, Ukraine’s ability to field large, cohesive units will falter.

2. Economic Exhaustion: “Money” Dwindling

In the second section, the author shifts focus to Ukraine’s financial strain. Jensen quotes the National Bank of Ukraine’s latest inflation figures—citing a 12 % year‑on‑year rise in consumer prices—and the fact that the government’s debt has ballooned to 150 % of GDP. The piece links to a Bloomberg article that details how Russian air‑strike campaigns have damaged critical infrastructure in the Donbas and Kharkiv regions, creating a cost burden that the already‑strained budget cannot absorb.

International aid, though substantial, is also in flux. The article references a Guardian link that reported a 20 % decline in US and EU military aid in 2025, as donors recalibrate their priorities amid domestic political pressure. Jensen explains that the withdrawal of $3 billion in targeted financial support last quarter has forced Kyiv to cut back on logistics and training expenditures. She uses a graph from the World Bank—linked within the piece—to illustrate that Ukraine’s sovereign credit rating has fallen from “BB‑” to “B+,” further tightening access to foreign borrowing.

The author underscores that the “money” issue is not just about the sum of aid but also its timeliness and allocation. She cites an Al Jazeera report (embedded link) that highlighted delays in the delivery of heavy artillery systems, meaning that Ukrainian troops often operate with outdated equipment. This shortfall is tied to the logistical bottlenecks created by Russian roadblock campaigns along the Luhansk–Kharkiv corridor.

3. Time: A Critical Variable

Jensen’s third core argument is that time is the most precarious resource. She argues that, while the war could technically be protracted, each month of fighting accelerates deterioration on all three fronts—human, economic, and strategic. She draws on a Times article (linked) that modeled the “cost per day” of the conflict and projected a tipping point by mid‑2026, after which Ukraine could no longer sustain a counter‑offensive in the Donbas.

The article emphasizes that the Russian strategy, according to an embedded NATO briefing, has shifted toward “protracted attrition” rather than a rapid breakthrough. This approach, Jensen explains, is designed to keep the Ukrainian forces in a defensive posture, draining their resources over time. The author notes that this strategy has been effective in the last six months, where Russian forces have steadily captured key supply hubs and forced Ukraine to divert forces to protect them.

4. The Call for a New Strategy

Having laid out the crisis across the three axes—men, money, time—Jensen argues that Ukraine’s leadership must adopt a radically different approach. She advocates for a “strategic defensive‑offensive” that leverages the country’s asymmetric strengths. The author cites an embedded article from the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) that recommends using advanced drone swarms and cyber‑operations to offset Russia’s numerical advantage. She also stresses the need for an accelerated domestic industrial strategy, urging Ukraine to move toward self‑sufficiency in key military hardware—an approach echoed in a linked interview with Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov.

Moreover, Jensen stresses the urgency of a renewed international coalition. She references a United Nations General Assembly resolution (linked) that calls for an increased, coordinated aid package for Ukraine. The piece argues that a multi‑pact—including military training, logistical support, and economic sanctions against Russia—must be rolled out within the next three months to reverse the downward spiral.

5. Conclusion: A Moment of Reckoning

The article concludes on a sober note. Jensen acknowledges that the path forward is fraught with uncertainty but insists that the stakes are too high to continue in the current trajectory. She ends with a poignant reminder that the Ukrainian people have endured more than any nation in modern history, and that the world must not let them “run out of men, money, and time” before peace can be negotiated.

How the Article Uses Linked Sources

Throughout the piece, Jensen intersperses a variety of links to support her claims:

• Reuters – casualty data and frontline reports.
• United Nations – demographic projections.
• Bloomberg – economic indicators and debt statistics.
• The Guardian – aid trends and donor priorities.
• Al Jazeera – internal logistics and equipment delays.
• Times – cost‑per‑day modeling.
• NATO briefing – Russian operational strategy.
• CSIS – asymmetric warfare tactics.
• UN General Assembly resolution – international aid calls.

These embedded links serve not only to verify her assertions but also to provide readers with deeper dives into specific facets of the conflict. The author’s careful citation strategy ensures that her argument is data‑driven, allowing for a multifaceted view of the crisis.

Final Takeaway

Al Jazeera’s opinion article is a comprehensive warning that Ukraine’s war effort is on a razor‑thin razor‑blade. With soldiers dwindling, the economy crumbling, and time slipping away, the article urges an immediate pivot in strategy and a surge in international solidarity. Whether the world will heed the call remains to be seen, but the article’s 500‑plus‑word analysis lays out a clear, urgent roadmap for the remaining phases of the conflict.