Ukraine in a “War of Attrition”: The Warfare Paradigm Shift

The contemporary war launched by the russian federation against Ukraine demonstrates a fundamental change in the nature of armed confrontation. This conflict is gradually moving beyond classical conceptions of war as a set of active combat actions, frontline clashes, and rapid operations. Instead, Ukraine has encountered a phenomenon that exhibits all the features of a so-called “war of attrition” – a protracted, gradual, fragmented yet systemic confrontation that causes destructive impact not only on the frontline but also in the rear, in the information space, economy, energy sector, international diplomacy, and in the public consciousness. Therefore, the main aim of the article is to explore “war of attrition” as a phenomenon and to introduce this concept into scientific, strategic, and public discourse, as it reflects the new realities of Ukraine’s military experience that no longer fit within traditional frameworks. The main results of the article are as follows: an analysis of the military confrontation in the context of the russian-Ukrainian war is conducted in order to examine the phenomenon of a slow, incremental advance that lacks a clearly defined frontline breakthrough but is instead characterised by months-long pressure and attrition of the enemy; a conceptual and terminological justification and a definition of the philosophical concept of “war of attrition” are provided; the main principles of conducting a “war of attrition” are defined; the main characteristics of “war of attrition” are outlined; the periods of transformation of the russian-Ukrainian war into a “war of attrition” are established; possible projected consequences of “war of attrition” for russia and Ukraine are identified; the system of external and internal factors that may push russia to shift from “war of attrition” to active operations is revealed; numerical indicators of “war of attrition” based on the russian-Ukrainian experience are defined; and the foundations of the Concept of “war of attrition” are elaborated using the russian-Ukrainian conflict as an example. The materials of the article may be useful to military theorists and practitioners involved in developing strategies for contemporary warfare; security and defence analysts studying the transformation of armed conflicts; researchers in the field of the philosophy of war, military history, and international relations; as well as policymakers and military leaders who shape defence policy and military doctrines.