That is what Russia said about Japan before Mukden in that cold winter of early 1905. I hope you read deep enough about that battle because, unlike what popular views of that war might be, the Japanese army at that particular time was exhausted, starved, outnumbered, outgunned and severely depleted because of the heavy casualties taken during the (finally successful) siege of Port-Arthur. Nevertheless, the Japanese generals knew that they had to attack and to win decisively in a very narrow window of opportunity as the alternative would have meant a guaranteed defeat should the Russian army have received reinforcements from Western Russia. So the Japanese went all in, outflanked and encircled the main Russian force, forced a massive Russian retreat and then finished off the remnants inside the pocket justwest of Mukden, all before that window of opportunity closed.
Regardless of how tactics and technology have evolved since 1905, the old Swedish proverb that says "attack is the best defense" still holds its meaning in the art of war when the window of opportunity is there. After reading that two-part article in the Washington Post, I personally feel that many Ukrainian generals have been far too cautious and thus missed their window completely, which is a big reason why the counteroffensive failed. The other reason is the massive waste of valuable UA resources, namely seasoned soldiers while defending Bakhmut, for which the article seems to indicate it was due to pressure from Zelensky's office.
Someone someday will have to go all in and then force a breakthrough to finish this war, just like the Japanese of the previous century did. I only hope the Ukrainian generals will not mess around if such an opportunity arises.