Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has strongly condemned Russia's recent escalated attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure, characterizing them as "terroristic" and driven by desperation. Johnson argues that these strikes, particularly targeting railways and civilian areas, will ultimately fail to break Ukraine's resolve and calls for the West to expedite military support, emphasizing the urgent need for advanced air defense systems.
Writing on September 13, 2026, Johnson posited that Russian President Vladimir Putin's intensified assaults are a sign of his increasing desperation after suffering significant personnel losses. According to Johnson, Russia has experienced record monthly casualties in July and August, exceeding 40,000 killed or severely wounded, a scale not seen since World War II. He suggested that these losses, coupled with potential public backlash against a general mobilization, are pushing Putin towards increasingly attritional tactics.
Johnson highlighted the growing dissent within Russian military commentary circles, noting that some prominent supporters of the war are now calling for negotiations. He attributed this shift partly to the effectiveness of Ukrainian drones, which have reportedly targeted Russian oil refineries and caused fuel shortages and quality issues in Russia. The former Prime Minister stated that despite Russia's claims, Ukraine's strategic gains this fighting season have been minimal, with Russian forces even experiencing setbacks.
"This was supposed to be the decisive fighting season, and yet the gains have been trivial, and in some cases Putin’s forces have even been going backwards," Johnson wrote. He specifically mentioned that Russia is unlikely to capture the Donbas region or the city of Zaporizhzhia.
Johnson detailed the recent surge in attacks on Ukrainian railways, noting that there have been more such incidents in the past six months than in the entire preceding four years of the conflict. He acknowledged the resilience of the Ukrainian railway company, Ukrzaliznytsia, and its employees, who have continued operations despite significant losses. "The company has already lost 1,700 employees to Putin’s utterly criminal attacks. They are heroes. They will not give in now," he stated.
Johnson visited a Ukrainian drone and missile startup, Firepoint, which he described as a global leader producing advanced cruise missiles like the Flamingo. However, he stressed that Ukraine urgently requires enhanced air defense capabilities to counter Russian ballistic missiles and new drone models. With U.S. Patriot missile systems reportedly in high demand in the Gulf region, Johnson called for Western nations to assist Ukraine in producing its own advanced defense systems.
"We need to give them the ‘seeker’ tracking systems to help them to take out Putin’s fast drones and neutralise his intercontinental ballistic missiles. It can be done, but it needs to be done fast," Johnson urged. He anticipates that Russia will intensify attacks on civilians during the upcoming winter and calls for a renewed seriousness from Western allies.
Further recommendations from Johnson include reopening Black Sea ports to facilitate grain exports, providing Ukraine with Starlink access over Russian territory to target missile launch sites, and unfreezing Russian assets held in Western capitals to fund Ukraine's defense efforts. He concluded by asserting that increased pressure on Russia will hasten the end of the conflict.