It looks like Ukraine’s counter offensive is over. The force is exhausted, either physically or in terms of logistics expended. It needs a pause, a regroup, a replenishment. To culminate is not to be defeated, it is a routine and expected phase of any military advance. The trick for military commanders is to anticipate when it will occur and plan accordingly. Kyiv will have taken many lessons about planning, force integration and training from the counter offensive. However, in geographic terms the advance has not reached any of the objectives it was likely designed to, for example, Tokmak, Melitopol, perhaps even (although this would always have been a bit ambitious) the Sea of Azov. We are entering a phase of what General Valery Zaluzhny, the head of Ukraine’s armed forces, referred to recently as positional warfare. Meaning, largely static, as opposed to manoeuvre warfare, when the lines can shift rapidly and dramatically. For example, last year when Ukraine broke through Russian lines near Kharkiv and dashed eastwards for about 50 miles, or when Moscow pulled its troops back from Kherson and across the Dnipro River. Find our Defence in Depth playlist here:    • Defence in Depth | The Telegraph   For our podcast Ukraine: The Latest, visit:    • Ukraine: The Latest | Podcast | The T...   #ukraine #russia #counter-offensive Subscribe to The Telegraph with our special offer: just £1 for 3 months. Start your free trial now: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/customer/subscribe/digitalsub/3for1/?WT.mc_id=tmgoff_pvid_conversion-subscription_editorial-iniative_03-22_EGW-13_organic_youtube Get the latest headlines: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/ Telegraph.co.uk and null are websites of The Telegraph, the UK's best-selling quality daily newspaper providing news and analysis on UK and world events, business, sport, lifestyle and culture.