US intelligence expects the slower pace of hostilities in Ukraine to continue in the coming monthsreports “Reuters”.
However, the director of the service, Avril Haynes, specified that the intelligence sees no evidence of a reduced willingness to resist on the part of the Ukrainian forces, despite attacks against the electricity grid and other critical winter infrastructure in the country.
“We are already seeing the pace of the conflict slow down and expect it to continue in the coming months,” Haynes said at the annual Reagan National Defense Forum.
She indicated it both Ukrainian and Russian troops will try to re-equip to prepare for a counter-offensive after the winter.
“We’re actually quite skeptical that the Russians will really measure up. I’m more optimistic about the Ukrainians in this time frame,” noted Haynes.
As for Russian attacks on Ukraine’s power grid and other civilian infrastructure, the US intelligence chief made it clear that Moscow’s goal is, in part, to undermine the Ukrainians’ will to resistbut at the moment this is not happening.
“Over time, of course, that could have an impact. How big the impact will be depends on how long they last, what they’re able to do, the resilience of that critical infrastructure, our ability to help them protect it. economy “Ukraine is suffering a lot. It’s devastating and obviously the collapse of the power grid will impact that as well,” Haynes said.
