Russia-Ukraine War: Four Years of Attrition

Four years into the full-scale invasion, Russia has not achieved its strategic goals in Ukraine, with the conflict now lasting longer than the Soviet Union's fight against Germany in World War II.

26 Feb, 12:29 — 26 Feb, 12:30

Moderate (32/100)

2 sourcesNarrow spread2 regions

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Why this matters

The Russia-Ukraine war, now in its fourth year, represents a significant geopolitical conflict characterized by attrition and a lack of clear resolution. Its prolonged nature and Russia's failure to achieve initial objectives highlight the complexities of modern warfare and the ongoing humanitarian and political crises in the region. Understanding the conflict's trajectory and expert perspectives is crucial for grasping its potential future implications.

ℹOnly 2 sources cover this story

Perspective Analysis

AI-generated comparison of how 2 sources cover this story

Both outlets mark the four-year anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, characterizing it as a war of attrition with no easy resolution. SCMP focuses on Russia's failure to achieve strategic goals and the conflict's prolonged nature, while Independent highlights expert analysis on future developments.

Political spectrum

LeftCenterRight

independent

scmp

Outlet rating This story

SourceOutletiGeneral editorial lean of the outletStoryiHow they covered this specific storyTone

The Independentcenter-leftcenter-leftanalyticalfeatures expert opinions on future developments

SCMPcentercenter-leftanalyticalcritical of Russia's strategic failures

Coverage leans: center-left

The coverage leans center-left, primarily through critical assessment of Russia's war performance and featuring expert analysis on the conflict's future.

What sources agree on

The Russia-Ukraine conflict has been ongoing for four years since Russia's full-scale invasion.
The conflict is characterized as a war of attrition.

Where they diverge

Primary focus of coverage

SCMP

Focuses on Russia's lack of strategic achievements and the conflict's extended duration.

The Independent

Emphasizes expert opinions and predictions regarding the war's future trajectory.

Key claims2 agreed · 2 unverified

✓

Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine four years ago.

agreed·SCMPThe Independent

✓

The conflict is a war of attrition.

agreed·SCMPThe Independent

Russia has not achieved any of its strategic goals.

Coverage gaps

Discussion of Russia's failure to achieve strategic goals and the conflict's historical length comparison.

ReportedSCMP

MissingThe Independent

Interviews with specific experts on the Ukraine war and their predictions.

ReportedThe Independent

MissingSCMP

Perspective Analysis

Comparing sources…

External Fact-Checks

Claims matched against human-vetted fact-check databases

✗False

The U.S. has given Ukraine “$350 billion” for the war with Russia gave “$200 billion more than Europe.”

FactCheck.org·20 Feb 2025Read →

How outlets covered this

Left-leaning

The Independent

We’re experts on the Ukraine war. Here’s what we think will happen next

Center

SCMP

Russia and Ukraine’s war of attrition leaves no easy off-ramp

Right-leaning

No articles

Key entities

Russiaaggressor in the conflict Ukrainedefending against invasion Stefan Wolffexpert on the Ukraine war Tetyana Malyarenkoexpert on the Ukraine war Scott Lucasexpert on the Ukraine war Mark Webberexpert on the Ukraine war

Coverage Timeline

First report: The Independent · 26 Feb, 12:29|Full coverage: All 2 sources within 0m|Window: 0m

Left-leaningCenterRight-leaning

The Independent26 Feb, 12:29First to report

We’re experts on the Ukraine war. Here’s what we think will happen next

SCMP26 Feb, 12:30Latest update

Russia and Ukraine’s war of attrition leaves no easy off-ramp

Read at source (2 outlets)

SCMP23h ago

Russia and Ukraine’s war of attrition leaves no easy off-ramp

Four years after launching the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russia has not achieved any of its strategic goals. The conflict – now lasting longer than the Soviet Union’s fight against Germany in World War II – has only caused Moscow to lose its influence dramatically in the post-Soviet space. Is there a way out of the Kremlin’s Ukraine adventure? In the early days of war, which erupted on February 24, 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed that his “special military operation” in...

By Nikola Mikovic

Read full article →

The Independent23h ago

We’re experts on the Ukraine war. Here’s what we think will happen next

Stefan Wolff, Tetyana Malyarenko, Scott Lucas and Mark Webber were interviewed four years after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine

By Stefan Wolff ,Mark Webber,Scott Lucas and Tetyana Malyarenko

Read full article →

Russia-Ukraine War: Four Years of Attrition

Why this matters

Perspective Analysis

Political spectrum

What sources agree on

Where they diverge

Key claims2 agreed · 2 unverified

Coverage gaps

Perspective Analysis

External Fact-Checks

How outlets covered this

Left-leaning

We’re experts on the Ukraine war. Here’s what we think will happen next

Center

Russia and Ukraine’s war of attrition leaves no easy off-ramp

Right-leaning

Key entities

Coverage Timeline

We’re experts on the Ukraine war. Here’s what we think will happen next

Russia and Ukraine’s war of attrition leaves no easy off-ramp

Read at source (2 outlets)

Russia and Ukraine’s war of attrition leaves no easy off-ramp

We’re experts on the Ukraine war. Here’s what we think will happen next

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Why this matters

Key entities

External Fact-Checks

Perspective Analysis

Political spectrum

What sources agree on

Where they diverge

Key claims2 agreed · 2 unverified

Coverage gaps

Coverage matrix