Why Russia Fails to Break Ukraine's Front: General Explains New War Logic

Russia's inability to breach the Ukrainian front, despite its overwhelming superiority in manpower and resources, stems from a profound transformation in warfare tactics, according to General Dorin Toma. The Ukrainian front has not yielded, and successive Russian attacks aimed at territorial gains consistently falter against a battlefield where nearly every movement is observable and vulnerable to attack.

Toma, former commander of a NATO multinational division, explained to "Adevărul" that the reasons lie not solely in the balance of forces but in a fundamental shift in how combat is conducted. The integration of drones, artificial intelligence, and electronic warfare has primarily altered the tactical level of engagement. At this level, numerical superiority alone is no longer sufficient to achieve a breakthrough, fundamentally changing the dynamics of the conflict.

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Our attention is drawn to the actions executed by both belligerents at the strategic and operational levels, the deep strikes carried out by the Ukrainian and Russian armies. And because they are spectacular, and their effects are heavily publicized.

His analysis distinguishes between strategic, operational, and tactical levels. While the war in Ukraine largely continues the deep strike logic established since World War II at the strategic and operational levels, the major change is occurring at the contact line. Attacks on economic and military infrastructure are among the most spectacular aspects of the war, often dominating public perception.

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At the strategic level, we are talking about Ukraine's strikes on economic infrastructure, the oil industry, or defense industry capacities, or Russia's strikes on Ukraine's energy and economic infrastructure, even hitting civilian targets to weaken the resilience and morale of the civilian population.

"Our attention is drawn to the actions executed by both belligerents at the strategic and operational levels, the deep strikes carried out by the Ukrainian and Russian armies. And because they are spectacular, and their effects are heavily publicized," Toma stated. "At the strategic level, we are talking about Ukraine's strikes on economic infrastructure, the oil industry, or defense industry capacities, or Russia's strikes on Ukraine's energy and economic infrastructure, even hitting civilian targets to weaken the resilience and morale of the civilian population."

However, from a doctrinal standpoint, Toma emphasizes that there is no revolution. The real change lies in the means by which these strikes are executed and the speed at which information about a target can be translated into military action. "If we analyze strictly doctrinally, since World War II, deep strikes have become the norm. Strategic bombing aviation was initially used, later cruise missiles appeared, and the Tomahawk system is perhaps the best example. The Russians developed the Iskander ballistic missiles, and in recent years, hypersonic missiles have emerged, all used with the same purpose: executing deep strikes," the general highlighted. The crucial difference, he noted, is the speed at which information transforms into offensive action.

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If we analyze strictly doctrinally, since World War II, deep strikes have become the norm. ... The crucial difference, he noted, is the speed at which information transforms into offensive action.