A Strategy of Attrition
According to Sergei Poletaev, Russia has substantial fiscal room and low public debt, enabling it to sustain the war effort for several years. The Kremlin’s strategy, he argues, rests on five pillars:
- maintaining Russia’s macroeconomic and social stability;
- strengthening international alliances (notably with China, seen as a potential supplier of drones);
- weakening opposing coalitions, particularly by slowing U.S. involvement and deepening divisions within Europe;
- protecting its energy infrastructure from Ukrainian strikes;
- preserving the size of its army without resorting to another mobilization.
Moscow is betting on the gradual exhaustion of the Ukrainian army rather than on a decisive military breakthrough. Before the front collapses, it is political, economic, and diplomatic dynamics that will determine the outcome of the war, the author asserts.
Expert: Sergei Poletaev, military analyst
Source: «O dialektike vojny», Rossijskij Sovet po Meždunarodnym Delam, 20 October 2025
The summaries published on this site reflect the state of debate in Russia, without presuming the accuracy or legality of the statements reported. They do not represent approval, by the author of this site, of the positions expressed. To read the full original texts, please consult the links provided.
