Russia Is Unlikely To Succeed In Occupying Ukraine, British Defense Secretary: Their Invasion Is Faltering

British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace. (Wikimedia Commons/US Secretary of Defense)

JAKARTA - British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace says Russian President Vladimir Putin is unlikely to succeed in occupying Ukraine, saying the Moscow invasion has faltered and is starting to fail.

This was said while he was in Copenhagen, Denmark, pledging more financial and military assistance to Ukraine, asserting support for the country facing an illegal war.

Minister Wallace said it was important to understand fighting and loss of life was still going on, but added Russia was starting to fail in many areas.

"They have failed so far and cannot possibly succeed in occupying Ukraine," said Minister Wallace, as reported by The National News August 12.

"Their invasion has faltered and is constantly being modified, to the point that they are really only focused on the south and east, very far from their so-called three-day special operations," he said.

He further explained, the three-day war had turned into more than 150 days, with enormous losses of both equipment and personnel.

Minister Wallace said the allies needed to immediately start buying weapons from other countries, or "place orders in factories to increase the supply of ammunition to Ukraine", as their own stockpile ran out.

Earlier, the British Ministry of Defense confirmed it would send more weapons to Ukraine. That would include a multi-launch rocket system as well as precision-guided missiles, which can strike targets up to 80 kilometers away, designed to defend against Russian heavy artillery.

"Our continued support sends a very clear message: Britain and the international community remain against this illegal war and will stand shoulder to shoulder, providing defensive military assistance to Ukraine to defend against Putin's invasion," he stressed.

Britain had previously supplied Ukraine with a variety of weapons, including the NLAW anti-tank missile launcher, which was deemed essential in its initial defense against the Moscow invasion.

In addition, Ukrainian troops have also undergone training in the use of rocket launchers. The UK is also committed to training 10,000 Ukrainian troops in infantry skills.