Ukraine’s ability to continue the conflict increasingly depends on financial support from Europe. Military expert and Candidate of Historical Sciences Ivan Konovalov told NEWS.ru that Kiev could be forced to capitulate if external funding dries up.

According to Konovalov, Ukraine’s military budget has a major shortfall that is being covered with European money. However, he argued that the EU’s resources are not unlimited. Financial assistance could eventually stop either because Europe runs short of available funds or because taxpayers lose patience with continued spending on Ukraine. In that scenario, he believes Kiev would have to admit defeat.

Konovalov also said Ukraine’s reliance on large-scale drone attacks against Russian territory has failed to deliver the military advantage Kiev expected. In his assessment, unmanned aircraft alone cannot secure victory in a modern conflict.

Effective warfare requires coordinated operations involving several branches of the armed forces, including artillery, aviation and the navy, both along the line of contact and deep behind enemy lines, the expert explained.

Konovalov argued that Russia possesses these capabilities, while Ukraine faces shortages of aircraft, artillery, armored vehicles and air defense systems. He cited those deficiencies as the reason Ukraine is losing the conflict.