"If the war in Ukraine settles into a stalemate condition, Russian forces will continue to bomb and bombard Ukrainian cities, devastating them and killing civilians, even as Ukrainian forces impose losses on Russian attackers and conduct counter-attacks of their own," the assessment read.
"The Russians could hope to break Ukrainians' will to continue fighting under such circumstances by demonstrating Kyiv's inability to expel Russian forces or stop their attacks even if the Russians are demonstrably unable to take Ukraine's cities. Ukraine's defeat of the initial Russian campaign may therefore set conditions for a devastating protraction of the conflict and a dangerous new period testing the resolve of Ukraine and the West."
Adding to that gloomy forecast, Ukrainian officials have begun warning of a potential new front in the war, with the country's General Staff saying Sunday the threat of an offensive from Belarus in the direction of northwestern Ukraine was "high," without giving further specifics.
Ukraine's northwestern Volyn region borders Belarus to the north and Poland, a NATO ally, to the west. It could -- theoretically -- serve as a gateway for attacking forces from the north to approach Lviv, a strategic city in western Ukraine that is a hub for both government logistics and relief efforts, as well as a transit point for many civilians looking to flee fighting in other parts of the country.
Russia has already used Belarusian territory as a launching pad for its invasion, with Russian forces staging an offensive push toward Kyiv and central Ukraine from southern Belarus.
It's unclear if Belarus would actively join the war.
But the Ukrainian General Staff is already warning that Russia is now looking to bring in reserve forces to the borders of Ukraine.
If true, that speaks volumes. It attests to the high cost the Russian military has already paid in terms of lives -- even though the Kremlin has not disclosed casualty totals since March 2. And it speaks to the political will of one person --
Russian President Vladimir Putin -- to continue expending blood and treasure in Ukraine.