Bangladesh, Aug. 25 -- For much of the summer, the political narrative surrounding the war in Ukraine appeared remarkably confident. European leaders and sections of the Western media repeatedly suggested that Kyiv had regained the initiative, that Russian forces were under mounting pressure, and that a new generation of AI-assisted drones could fundamentally alter the balance of power.

But wars are ultimately decided not by headlines, technological hype, or isolated strikes deep behind enemy lines. They are decided by military capacity, manpower, industrial production, logistics, economic resilience and the ability to sustain combat over time. Viewed through that lens, the prospect of a decisive Ukrainian victory remains far less certai...