Washington, Aug 2026 : Former US Vice-President Mike Pence has said Ukraine is winning its war against Russia, arguing that Ukrainian forces have managed to hold Russian troops to a stalemate while significantly changing the nature of modern drone warfare.
Pence made the remarks in an interview with CNN from Ukraine after meeting President Volodymyr Zelensky. He said Ukraine remained determined despite continued Russian attacks that have caused significant casualties and damage across the country.
“Ukraine is winning this war,” Pence said, adding that Ukrainian forces on the front lines had “fought Russia to a stalemate.”
Pence was visiting Ukraine to attend a national prayer breakfast marking 35 years since the collapse of the Soviet Union and the country’s independence. He said thousands of people from Ukraine and other countries had gathered for the event and described the determination of Ukrainians as evident at every level of society.
According to Pence, Ukraine has also played a major role in transforming drone warfare. He said Ukrainian forces had developed innovative tactics, carried out attacks against targets inside Russia and successfully struck Russian naval assets in the Black Sea.
His comments came after a Russian “double-tap” strike reportedly killed at least 16 people and wounded more than 100 others. The attack followed major Russian strikes on Kyiv and other Ukrainian targets.
Pence said Russia had recently increased its use of high-arc ballistic missiles against Ukrainian targets, creating a new challenge for Kyiv’s air defence network. While Ukraine has developed effective systems to counter drones, he said the country requires more sophisticated interceptors to defend against ballistic missile attacks.
The former Vice-President also warned that Russia could intensify attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure as winter approaches. He said Zelensky expected Moscow to target critical infrastructure in an effort to put additional pressure on the Ukrainian population during the colder months.
Pence’s comments come amid concerns over shortages of advanced air-defence interceptors. CNN reported that the conflict involving Iran had contributed to pressure on US supplies, with Washington having used a significant portion of its Patriot missile inventory while responding to Iranian attacks.
Asked whether Ukraine was suffering because of US President Donald Trump’s war with Iran, Pence rejected the suggestion.
“I don't see it that way, and I don't think the Ukrainians do either,” he said.
Pence suggested that South Korea could potentially help address the interceptor shortage. He said Seoul possessed sophisticated air-defence systems that could potentially be supplied to the United States for deployment in the Middle East or Ukraine, or made available to European allies.
“This might be an opportunity for President Lee to step forward, make those interceptors available to the United States,” Pence said.
Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, following its annexation of Crimea in 2014. The conflict has since become the largest armed conflict in Europe since the Second World War.
Ukraine continues to depend heavily on military equipment, ammunition and financial assistance from the United States and European allies as it seeks to withstand Russian attacks and strengthen its air-defence capabilities.
(Disclaimer :The content of this article is sourced from a news agency and has not been edited by the Mavericknews30 team.)
