Zelenskyy Explained How Putin Lost The Initiative In The War

• 29.07.2026, 8:32

The conflict has turned into a race for innovation.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Russian dictator Vladimir Putin has lost the initiative in the war, and that Ukrainian military technology has changed the dynamics on the battlefield.

In an interview with Fox News, he noted that there are currently about 500 companies in Ukraine developing weapons and technologies to outpace Russia. According to him, while Putin had expected to occupy the country in two or three days at the start of the war, Ukraine has now built a powerful defense industry with precisely that number of companies possessing advanced technological capabilities.

The President of Ukraine emphasized that the conflict has effectively turned into a race for innovation: strategy is constantly changing, as weapons systems such as drones quickly become obsolete without adaptation. According to him, the nature of the war changes every three to six months, and technology must evolve accordingly.

Zelenskyy also noted that Russia has more people, so Ukraine needs to act faster in this race—to stay ahead of Putin, protect its people, and rely on technological superiority rather than sheer numbers.

He said that expanding Ukraine’s military capabilities and striking Russian targets are precisely what have stripped Putin of the initiative: despite the fact that Russia is losing about 30,000 soldiers every month, he is not ready to stop the war, and that is precisely why the initiative is not in his hands right now.