Russia’s Ukraine invasion has failed to meet Putin’s goals ‘1,000 days later,’ US Defense Secretary Austin says

Russian President Vladimir Putin has failed to meet any of his goals in Ukraine, even after more than 1,000 days of war, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Wednesday.

Austin, speaking to reporters during a defense summit in Laos, appeared to mock Russia’s failure to meet Putin’s goal of taking Ukraine within a few days when the invasion began in February 2022.

“The largest military in Europe invaded its neighbor, who had a much smaller inventory, much less capability, and 1,000 days later, they’ve yet to be successful,” he said.

The defense chief also touted Ukraine’s defenses that have stagnated Russia’s gains along the eastern front, saying Kyiv has demonstrated to the world that it is possible to fight off a superpower so long as the country “has some of the resources that it needs to do so.”

Although Russia has come to control about 20% of Ukraine’s territory as the invasion approaches its third year, it has come at a significant cost to the Kremlin.

Western intelligence suggests Russia has seen more than 700,000 soldiers killed or wounded since the war began, with London’s Royal United Services Institute estimating the size of the Kremlin’s forces at 470,000 active troops at the start of 2024.

British Armed Forces Admiral Sir Tony Radakin said Putin has had to pay an “extraordinary price or tiny increments of land,” marking October as Moscow’s worst month with an average loss of 1,500 soldiers a day.

Moscow is currently bolstering its forces with thousands of North Korean troops, but the move recently triggered the US and UK to approve the use of long-range missiles in Russia, which were deployed on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The move comes as the US Defense Department confirmed that a slew of military equipment was bound for Ukraine as part of a $275 million aid package from the US.

The package is set to provide more much-needed ammunition for Ukraine’s weapons, including for US High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), according to the Defense Department.

The Biden administration has also just greenlit the use of anti-personnel landmines, which would be deployed to deter Russia’s advances in the frontlines.  

Putin has accused the US of attempting to escalate the war in Ukraine, with the Russian president issuing a clear warning as he signed a law Tuesday that would allow for a nuclear strike in retaliation to a long-range missile attack from Kyiv.