U.S. Intelligence Warns Russia Still Tries to Capture Most of Ukraine

Avril Haines, director of U.S. National Intelligence, pointed out on the 29th that U.S. intelligence agencies assessed the war could linger for a long time and that Russia was still trying to seize most of Ukraine’s territory.

The situation of the Russian-Ukrainian war remains grim, but Russia’s attitude towards the West is hardening, Haynes mentioned in a meeting. The Ukrainian army blunted Russia’s invasion to capture the capital of Kyiv at the beginning of the war, forcing the Moscow authorities to change their plan to “invading eastern Ukraine”. But, Russia still intends to occupy most of Ukraine.

Haines also said the Russian army had been greatly degraded after four months of fighting. The Russian army is unlikely to achieve its military objectives in the short term.

Until June 29th, 35,450 Russian soldiers have been killed (online data), with seriously insufficient front-line troops. The Russian army has already begun recruiting young people, even 16-year-olds, to the battlefield. In the author’s opinion, it is difficult for the Russian forces to seize more Ukrainian territory when its troops are insufficient. The more land captured by the Russian army, the more troops were sent to the captured territory. It is not a good idea to disperse the insufficient Russian force in such way!