Vladimir Putin prepares for a long war

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US intelligence warned that Vladimir Putin is preparing for a long war in Ukraine. They also suggested that even victory in the east won’t potentially end the conflict.

The warning came as harsh fighting continued in the East. Russia is trying hard to take over the territory. Moscow focused its troops on capturing the Donbas region again. However, Ukraine continues to resist the attempts to take its capital. Avril Haines, the director of national intelligence, told a US Senate committee that Putin is still intending “to achieve goals beyond the Donbas”. But he faces a mismatch between his ambitions and Russia’s current conventional military capabilities.

She added that the Russian president is counting on US and EU support for Ukraine to weaken. This is because inflation, food shortages, and energy prices got worse.

Vladimir Putin may turn to severe means as the war proceeds. However, Moscow can only use nuclear weapons if Putin perceives a greater threat to Russia.

Scott Berrier, Defence Intelligence Agency Director, told the same hearing that the Russians and the Ukrainians were “at a bit of a stalemate”. Ukraine claimed to recapture four settlements in the north-eastern Kharkiv region.

Ukraine’s armed forces said that Cherkasy Tyshky, Ruski Tyshky, Rubizhne, and Bayrak got all snatched back from Russia. Zelensky stated that Ukrainian successes are gradually pushing Russian forces out of Kharkiv.

But he said Ukrainians should not create an atmosphere of excessive moral pressure. Basically where victories get expected weekly and even daily. Various attacks got observed in eastern Ukraine. The bodies of 44 civilians found in the rubble of a collapsed building in the city of Izyum.

The five-story building collapsed in March as residents hid in the basement from Russian shelling. Also, in the port city of Odesa, missiles struck several buildings overnight and shook homes nearby.

Hence, the prime aim is to capture Mariupol. This is because doing so would give Moscow control of one of Ukraine’s biggest ports and easier access to the wider region.

Credits: BBC

Ishita Paul