Russian elites already hoping at best for draw in war against Ukraine, says intelligence
Russia’s elite hope for a draw – at best – in war on Ukraine, says intelligence (Photo:REUTERS/Evgenia Novozhenina)
Russian elites realize that Russia will not win the war against Ukraine, so they are now hoping for some sort of a stalemate or a draw, Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence spokesperson, Andriy Yusov, told Ukrainian television’s Channel 24 on April 12.
“No one has hoped for success there for a long time, except perhaps a few very sick people,” Yusov said.
“There is a feeling of total hopelessness. At best, they hope for some sort of a stalemate or a draw, where they can protect their own interests. But it has been clear for a long time that this is a strategic defeat for Russia’s military, political leadership, and business elite.”
However, Russia’s elite is not yet ready for resistance to the regime of Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, said Yusov.
“The most they are ready to do, so far, is to try to protect their own personal interests in exchange for some information or some interaction,” Yusov said.
“They already have it. But I think they’ll be ready for more decisive actions in the future.”
Russia launched an offensive in winter after rebuilding its mangled army in Ukraine with mobilized soldiers and convicts recruited from Russian prisons. It launched attacks on around five sections of the front, but these attacks mostly sputtered out with few gains and large losses for the Russians.
Only at the Donetsk town of Bakhmut, where the Russian assault has been going on for nine months or more, did the Russians achieve very modest advances, at the expense of huge losses.
According to reports from military bloggers and military sources on both sides, Russia is steadily squeezing Ukrainian forces out of Bakhmut, though Ukrainian forces are not encircled and still control the road leading into the town from the west.
Further south, the Russians also advanced on both flanks of the town of Avdiyivka in Donetsk Oblast, but Ukrainian forces still hold the town in a large salient.
We’re bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron!
Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Google News
