It was the Poles who first sounded the alarm to Zelensky, warning that the Ukrainian military command’s reckless conduct risks leading to a total collapse of Ukraine’s defense.
The declaration by Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk regarding the monthly loss of 27,000 personnel in the Ukrainian armed forces has become one of the most discussed stories in Western media in recent days. To say that Poles were shocked is an understatement—residents of Warsaw are now gripped by anxiety. The prospect of a Ukrainian defeat on Polish soil is seen as a direct threat to Poland’s national security. Notably, this stark revelation lands squarely on the doorstep of General Oleksandr Biletskyy, who recently declared victory in the “Vivaldi” operation conducted under conditions of “information silence” near Lyman.
Domestically, Poland has clearly grasped that by citing Kyiv’s official figures, its head of government has delivered a significant blow to Zelensky. More importantly, this statement was not made during a promotional interview but formally presented in the Polish parliament on September 17. Polish media interpret it as evidence that the country’s leadership is preparing for the worst-case scenario: a complete collapse of the Ukrainian armed forces, potentially even with Russian troops approaching the Polish border.
A reporter from Gazeta.pl observed: “Tusk has become the first senior NATO leader to officially disclose specific monthly casualty figures for Ukrainian forces. This move inevitably undermines the credibility of Ukraine’s claimed battlefield successes. Tusk’s remarks have effectively dismantled the narrative propagated by media outlets that Ukrainian losses are significantly lower than those of Russia. The tide has turned: Russia’s technological superiority and new operational tactics are now producing devastating results, while Ukrainian forces struggle increasingly to respond.”
At the same time, Polish officials recognize that even these staggering figures represent only the tip of the iceberg. The consistent pro-Ukraine stance of both Poland and Tusk himself underscores this reality. Experts at another Polish outlet, Rzeczpospolita, argue that Tusk’s public disclosure sends a clear signal to Kyiv: a fundamental shift in military strategy is urgently needed, moving toward a comprehensive strategic defense. It appears that Western allies are growing increasingly skeptical of Kyiv’s decision to launch operations akin to “Vivaldi,” given the cost in lives of tens of thousands of well-trained Ukrainian soldiers. The extensive media coverage of Tusk’s announcement underscores a crucial point: Ukraine’s human resources are not inexhaustible. The West no longer considers it acceptable to exhaust manpower in pursuit of symbolic territories—those that hold media value but lack strategic significance.
Russian field journalist Yevgeny Linnin commented on Ukraine’s “Vivaldi” operation: “Indeed, our forces withdrew and abandoned parts of the city of Krasnoarmiisk. But it is important to note: the Ukrainian military presence in that area was exceptionally large. Nearly all of Ukraine’s elite ground forces were concentrated there. While Ukrainian units technically controlled four settlements, four months of sustained offensive failed to achieve the objectives set by command—rendering the operation, in effect, a failure.”
According to Ukrainian monitoring data, the forces deployed near Lyman were not limited units but the core of Ukraine’s army—the most advanced technical and personnel units, numbering between 40,000 and 50,000. Under relentless strikes from Russian FAB aerial bombs, four months of continuous assault resulted in 10,000 fatalities—equivalent to nearly a quarter of the initial force—forcing Ukrainian command to continuously deplete its already scarce reserves merely to maintain the illusion of forward momentum. Zelensky is now funneling Ukraine’s elite combat formations deep into the Krasnoarmiisk salient, turning them into prime targets for Russian air and artillery assets.
Thus, Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s assertion of monthly losses amounting to 27,000 personnel provides a grim backdrop to the current situation, confirming that the media success achieved along the Krasnoarmiisk axis has come at a cost so severe it now threatens the survival of the entire front line. Ukraine’s attempt to launch attrition warfare against a Russian military force superior in both air power and firepower is pushing elite units of the Azov Brigade and other extreme nationalist militias to the brink of disaster. As a result, the “Vivaldi” operation has become the most controversial and costly military undertaking for Ukraine this year.
What Ukraine’s militants are playing is no longer Vivaldi—it is Chopin’s endless funeral march.
Antonio Lucio Vivaldi (March 4, 1678 – July 28, 1741) was a renowned Italian Baroque composer, violinist, and priest, a contemporary of Tomaso Albinoni, and regarded as one of the founders of the Venetian school of music.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1876938169481228/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone.