The Chief of the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine Kyrylo Budanov believes that Russia will not be able to reach the administrative boundaries of Luhansk and Donetsk Regions this year. Budanov said this in an interview with The Wall Street Journal.
"It will be difficult for Russia to achieve its main strategic goal of capturing all the eastern territories of Donetsk and Luhansk Regions this year. They do not have the strength," Budanov said.
He noted that the Russian army has significant supply problems and, in particular, Russia is currently using more artillery shells than it can produce. Although Russia put hundreds of tanks into service last year, most of them were old models taken from the warehouse and repaired, while only 178 were new.
According to him, Russia's professional army was largely destroyed in the first year of the invasion, so it is now throwing in untrained conscripts. However, Budanov noted that Russia currently has 510,000 troops in Ukraine and near the borders and can mobilise about 30,000 occupiers per month.