I predicted a stalemate and that’s what we got
An interview with Mark Kimmitt, retired Brigadier General of the US Army. Interviewer: Robert Finch
April 21, 2026 -
Mark Kimmitt
Robert Finch
- 
InterviewsIssue 3 2026Magazine
As we just passed the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, what are the main military lessons learned? What has fundamentally changed on the battlefield?
MARK KIMMITT: I don’t think much has changed on the battlefield. If you read my piece from August 2022 in the Wall Street Journal, you will see that I predicted a stalemate because of the West’s dithering in providing Ukraine what it needed. It has resulted in what can only be described as a stalemate. The only changes I’ve seen are in the technology used on the battlefield. On the one hand, it is clear that the Russians are fighting the same way in 2026 as they fought in 1944. They are still using massive amounts of artillery. They are using their infantrymen as targets and as little more than cannon fodder. Their movements reveal that the argument of quantity is better than quality still holds true. On the other hand, the Ukrainians are using some of the best technology in the world. They have brought drone warfare into a new era. That era, I think, will be short, and [will last] until counter-drone capabilities get fully established on the battlefield and that temporary advantage goes away. But they also have modern command and control. They have had modern training. They have been given equipment such as M1 battle tanks and ATACMS missiles, and they have developed their own drone capabilities as well. Unfortunately, for many reasons, there hasn’t been movement on the ground of any real significance, certainly not during this past winter. So you could also make the argument that very little has changed in the last year.
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