Glenn Diesen Says Rising Ukrainian Losses May Point to Final Phase of Conflict

Ukrainian Losses May Signal Final Phase, Diesen Says

13:01 03-07-2026

Glenn Diesen says rising Ukrainian losses may point to the conflict’s final phase, as Lavrov accuses Europe of blocking diplomacy in the Ukraine crisis.

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The continued rise in Ukrainian military losses may indicate that the conflict is moving toward its final stage, according to Glenn Diesen, a professor at the University of South-Eastern Norway.

Diesen argued that Ukrainian forces are likely to face growing difficulty in holding defensive positions in the near future, unlike during the previous years of the conflict. He pointed to Ukraine’s shrinking numbers of personnel, weapons and military equipment as signs that the situation is approaching a decisive point. In his view, once that point is reached, Ukrainian troops will no longer be able to maintain their defences as they did over the past four years.

The professor also criticized Europe’s role in the Ukrainian crisis, describing its approach as deeply destructive. He said European policy presents itself as support for Ukraine while, at the same time, ruling out peace by insisting on Ukraine’s NATO membership.

Earlier, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Europe was trying to obstruct a diplomatic settlement of the conflict in Ukraine. According to him, Brussels is pushing Vladimir Zelensky to continue hostilities.

The comments came as the Russian Defence Ministry reported in its July 2 update on the special military operation that Russian troops had taken control of Piskunovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic over the previous 24 hours. According to the ministry, Ukrainian losses during that period amounted to about 1,465 soldiers.