Budanov added he was confident Russia’s plan would fail.
“[Russian forces want] to inflict maximum damage on our
critical infrastructure,” he said.
“They hope this will create the conditions for social
discontent, street protests and, essentially, pressure to surrender Ukraine’s
national interests. But that will not happen.”
He also said Ukraine “will definitely survive this winter.”
“It will be difficult, but we will get through it,” Budanov
said.
Earlier the same day, Ukrainian President Volodymyr
Zelenskyy said intelligence officials had warned of the threat of another
large-scale Russian attack.
According to intelligence reports, Zelenskyy said, Russia
was preparing strikes on the power grid, bridges across the Dnieper River, and
civilian infrastructure.
Zelenskyy reiterated that Ukraine urgently needs interceptor
missiles for Patriot air defense systems, adding that every agreement and every
day of deliveries was important.