‘Nobody will win’: Zelenskyy adviser warns of mutual destruction if war with Russia continues

What Happened

Serhii Beskrestnov, a defence technology adviser to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, stated that the conflict has reached a deadlock on the frontline, shifting into a war of infrastructure and long-range strikes. Beskrestnov warned that Russia is producing over 100 ballistic missiles per month and has increased its use of jet-powered Shahed drones, with 2,500 deployed in August alone, to target Ukrainian energy systems. In response, Ukraine aims to increase its drone strike capacity to 1,000 per day to target Russian military and economic infrastructure, including commercial aviation. Beskrestnov also noted that Russian forces have begun testing AI-guided drones, which could potentially bypass existing Ukrainian jamming networks.

Key Actors

Why It Matters

The shift toward a war of attrition targeting critical infrastructure, combined with the rapid evolution of AI-guided and jet-powered drone technology, threatens to exacerbate the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine. The inability of current air defense systems to keep pace with the volume of incoming missiles and drones suggests a high risk of sustained power and heating outages for millions of civilians this winter.

Watch For

Monitor the potential evacuation of civilians from Kyiv, the deployment of AI-guided drone technology on the battlefield, and the success of Ukrainian efforts to secure additional Patriot interceptors from international partners.