International researchers believe that the war in Ukraine may turn into a frozen conflict with the Russian Federation, which will last more than ten years.
This was reported by CNBC.
Analysts believe that the seizure of Severodonetsk by the Russians looks increasingly likely. If the city is occupied, along with Lisichansk, the occupiers will gain full control of the Luhansk region. If the Russians succeed in this area, they are likely to shift their attention to the Donetsk region, about half of which is already occupied.
William Alberke, director of strategy, technology and arms control at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, believes that there is a possibility that the Russian defense line will fall somewhere. Then the occupiers will have to pull troops from the Severodonetsk front and send them north, to Kharkiv or Kherson.
Alberke expressed his fear that if Ukraine fails to destroy part of the Russian line, starts pushing back their army, it will force the aggressor country to further reduce its territorial ambitions. Then a "semi-permanent frozen conflict that lasts for decades or more" could emerge.
As a reminder, Severodonetsk and Lisichansk are the last cities held by the Ukrainian military in the Luhansk region. OVA chairman Sergey Gaidai reported that the occupiers destroyed all the bridges that could reach Severodonetsk.
