Is Russia Losing The Ukraine War? Experts Explain Putin’s Miscalculation

Russian President Vladimir Putin miscalculated the Ukrainians willingness to resist the invasion as well as sanctions his country would receive from other countries when he launched an attack on Ukraine last month, according to experts.

Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, laying siege to certain locations in the country and forcing thousands of residents to flee. Putin’s initial order was the successful completion of the invasion by March 2, according to former Russian Foreign Minister Andrei Fedorov.

However, Ukrainians, led by President Volodymyr Zelensky, continue to hold off Russian troops attempting to invade Kyiv. While experts have yet to say whether Russia is losing in the war, they have said that Putin miscalculated the commitment of the Ukrainians in protecting their land.

"Putin miscalculated the Ukrainians’ willingness to fight, the leadership style and willingness to die for the cause of [Ukrainian] President [Volodymyr] Zelenskyy," Rebekah Koffler, a former Defense Intelligence Agency officer, told Fox News Digital.

In addition to underestimating the strength of Ukrainian resistance, Koffler said Putin also miscalculated the backlash and sanctions Russia would incur from the United States and other Western countries.

"The sanctions could make it very difficult to govern Russia, in the sense that people's savings have been wiped out, factories will start to close, and there are fewer high-tech imports that are needed for the Russian economy. And obviously, the financial elite has taken a real beating," said Timothy Frye, the professor of post-Soviet foreign policy at Columbia University.

More than 120 brands worldwide have also suspended their operations and sales in Russia, including H&M, McDonald’s, Ikea, Unilever, TJX, Adidas and Nike. The suspension of operations could negatively affect Russia’s economy.

Since the beginning of the conflict, Zelensky has vowed to stay in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv even after the United States offered evacuation on Feb. 26. "The fight is here; I need ammunition, not a ride," Zelensky said at the time.

Unarmed Ukrainian civilians and foreign volunteers have also joined the country’s forces in confronting Russian soldiers and defending their homeland. As of March 6, nearly 20,000 foreign applicants have already signed up to join Zelensky’s new brigade, “The International Legion of Territorial Defense of Ukraine.”

Russian authorities have cracked down on any opposition over the past two weeks, even going as far as passing a law that banned independent and foreign news outlets and blocked social media platforms for its citizens.