The Ukrainian army is incapable of attacking, and the battles regularly end in "painful surprises," a former high-ranking Finnish officer helping the training of the Ukrainian army has recently said in an interview.

The Finnish ex-officer said the Russian army has failed in several things this past year, so many in the West are convinced that Ukraine can win this war. However, he also made a sobering statement.

„Ukraine’s victory in the war is nothing but wishful thinking,” the officer said during the interview made in Kyiv. He added that Ukrainian forces do not know how to attack and their training is outdated.

„The Ukrainians think they are skilled soldiers. But lying scared in a trench for eight months won’t make anyone a good soldier. Training is needed,” said the officer, who wished to remain anonymous due to his high military rank. However, the Finnish Yle news portal has confirmed his identity.

The officer believes that so far Ukraine has been spared from total destruction because of some major mistakes by the Russian army. „Russian forces, however, have learned from their mistakes. Unfortunately, the same is not true in case of Ukrainian armed forces, whose expertise is surprisingly low. Leadership is very poor, as are tactics and combat techniques,” the officer added.

In view of the progression of the war, the inability of the Ukrainian forces to move swiftly is particularly alarming. This means that the war is stuck in ways of an old-fashioned stationery warfare, where the artillery takes the leading role.

The officer also criticised the Ukrainians for not trying to encircle Russian troops. In this way, cities would be saved from massive bomb attacks, he said.

Regarding the success of the Ukrainian forces and the retaking of some territories from Russia, the officer said that „it was pure luck, Russia made a mistake and retreated. Russian forces withdrew from the cities of Kharkiv and Kherson almost without a fight. It can almost be pronounced that Ukraine will lose the war if nothing decisive happens soon.”

As the officer sees it the main problem for Ukraine’s defence forces is the lack of expertise and not that of weapons. „The Ukrainians have a strong will to fight and win, but this tactic will not succeed. Russia will not lose this war because it is a nuclear power,” he says. „If Ukraine launches a major offensive against Crimea, Russia will likely resort to strategic nuclear weapons.”

The Finnish officer believes that the war will end with Ukraine being forced to cede land because the task of driving out the Russian forces is too difficult. „This would not signal the end of Ukraine’s independence, but the border would be moved. You have to accept that, just like we did in Finland,” he says.

In addition, the officer believes that the image of the war in the West has been completely built on information provided by Ukraine.

„The media is well-disposed to listen to Ukrainian propaganda. But all talk of a Ukrainian victory is a rather exaggerated claim. Among the Western allies, perhaps the US has the most realistic picture of the status of the war, but it is unclear how much information the US shares with its allies.”

In the opinion of the former Finnish officer, his country’s government does not have a true picture of the war either. „Prime Minister Sanna Marin says the war will end when Russia withdraws, but this will not happen. People in Finland are too optimistic. In fact, the situation is very serious for the Ukrainian forces, as they have failed to break through any Russian defence positions.”

Western countries are seeking to reverse the military balance of power with weapons deliveries. However, providing better training for the troops would be a more efficient solution, the officer says, pointing out that the US training model – in which Ukraine’s special forces participate – also has its flaws.

„It is painful to see poorly trained soldiers sent to the front and return in coffins. That’s why I am still in Ukraine, to provide better training.”

Earlier, other experts have also pointed out that the Ukrainian army is sacrificing the lives of its soldiers unnecessarily, who die a senseless death in the war. The recent days saw a number of videos showing such senseless deaths published on private Telegram channels.