The head of Ukraine's top intelligence agency has claimed that Russian forces have proven weaker than expected and promised a heavier attack on Russian-occupied territory in Crimea in the coming days.
Kirillo Budanov, head of the Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, said that efforts to regain Crimea's territory will be further intensified in 2024.
“In 2023, the first invasion of Ukraine took place in temporarily occupied Crimea,” Budanov said in an interview with France's Le Monde newspaper. “And this is just the beginning.”
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Ukrainian Defense Intelligence Secretary Kirillo Budanov gives an interview in Kiev, Ukraine. (Vitalii Nosach/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)
Mr. Budanov acknowledged that it is mutually impossible for both countries to acquire substantial land, as both countries are entrenched on the front lines.
Regarding the territorial impasse, he said, “The very intensive use of attack drones has made it impossible for both Russia and Ukraine to attack,'' adding, “Another factor is the “This is an unprecedented density of minefields,” he added.
The intelligence chief also downplayed the strength of the Russian military, saying the continued struggles of the Ukrainian Defense Forces show that the Russian military is not as effective as previously thought.
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Kirillo Budanov, Director of Defense Intelligence of Ukraine, presents a commemorative coin dedicated to the Directorate of Intelligence of Ukraine on September 5, 2023 in Kiev, Ukraine. (Viktor Kovalchuk/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)
“I was surprised by certain Russian contradictions. Everyone thought that Moscow's army was strong, but its economy was weak. It turned out that in fact the opposite was true,” Budanov said.
He added: “While the economy may be weak, this country is not starving, and may not be starving for quite some time.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has refused to consider a ceasefire with Russia, arguing that it would only serve to strengthen the invading forces.
Rescue workers work at a destroyed apartment building following a Russian attack in Kiev, Ukraine. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)
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During his visit to Estonia, President Zelensky made comments intended to drum up support for continued funding of the war.
“A pause on the battlefields of Ukraine does not mean a pause in the war,” President Zelensky said.
“The suspension will have an impact.” [Russia’s] “It might crush us later,” he added.
