The Telegraph: Ukraine Has Become Putin's Nightmare
- 12.06.2026, 20:11
The dictator himself strengthened the very nation whose existence he had denied.
Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine has already lasted longer than World War I, which is one of the clearest signs that Russian dictator Vladimir Putin has miscalculated. But worst of all for the dictator is that he has effectively strengthened the spirit of the Ukrainian people, whose very existence he denies. British columnist Charles Moore writes about this in an op-ed for The Telegraph.
The author notes that the war has been going on for 1,569 days. Despite the fact that Russia controls about 20% of Ukrainian territory, including the occupied Crimea, Moscow has failed to achieve the quick victory the Kremlin had hoped for at the start of the invasion.
According to data cited in the article, Russia has lost between 350,000 and 500,000 soldiers killed, and the number of wounded and those permanently disabled may be several times higher. At the same time, Russian forces have yet to achieve any significant strategic successes.
Moore notes that in February 2022, Putin referred to the attack on Ukraine as a “special military operation,” as he effectively did not recognize Ukrainian statehood and expected the Ukrainian government to fall quickly. However, just a few weeks later, Russian troops were forced to retreat from Kyiv.
The author also points out that the invasion produced a result opposite to the Kremlin’s expectations. Instead of destroying Ukrainian identity, the war only strengthened national unity. According to the columnist, “Putin inadvertently steeled the spirit of the nation he sought to destroy.”
The article notes that the Russian invasion has also changed the security situation in Europe. Countries that the Kremlin considered a potential sphere of influence have, on the contrary, stepped up cooperation with the West. Finland, which has joined NATO, is cited as an example.
Separately, the author analyzes the development of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. He asserts that Ukraine has become a global leader in the use of drones and military technology. A significant portion of the drones are manufactured domestically, and Ukraine’s experience is already attracting interest abroad.
According to Moore, the Ukrainian army demonstrates a high level of flexibility and capacity for innovation. In Russia, however, “Putin simply kills people who make mistakes,” so few in the Russian system are willing to take risks and propose new solutions.
Comparing World War I to the war in Ukraine, the columnist sees a repetition of the same process. In 1918, the Western Allies won because they had learned to wage “all-out war,” possessing a technological advantage over the enemy. In 2026, in his view, the modern equivalent of those events is unfolding.
“Ukraine is uniting its land and sea flanks to destroy Russia’s strategic economic base and its supply lines. Drones are destroying Russian ‘means of warfare,’ such as fuel tankers and ammunition, far behind the front lines. Russia’s Black Sea Fleet is trapped, and the front line has been neutralized,” the columnist writes.
Moore notes that Putin is attempting to destroy the European security system established over 80 years ago, but, paradoxically, Ukraine is now emerging as Europe’s main “savior.”