The United States assessed the possibility of a Russian offensive

A large-scale Russian offensive this year is unlikely due to lack of ammunition and manpower in the aggressor country. This was said by the Director of National Intelligence of the United States, Avril Gaines, in a speech to the Senate Committee on the Armed Services, according to the American television channel CNN.

“In fact, unless Russia begins mandatory mobilization and secures significant supplies of ammunition from third parties, in addition to existing supplies from Iran and elsewhere, it will be difficult to support even those moderately invasive operation,” the official said.

In his opinion, Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin has kept his ambitions in Ukraine. He believes that now for him “victory” could be “consolidating control over the occupied territory in the east and south of Ukraine and ensuring that Ukraine does not become a member of NATO.”

Gaines considers it unlikely that Russia will agree to a “pause” in hostilities this year. Such a course of events was possible only under the influence of political factors.

According to him, now the Russians are preparing new defensive positions, in April they “occupied less territory than in any of the previous three months.”

Recall that at the end of March, the Main Intelligence Directorate said that the troops of the aggressor country, Russia, did not achieve any of the strategic goals in Ukraine that the Kremlin set for them, and the current situation at the front is the apogee of the so-called great offensive.

US National Security Council strategic communications coordinator John Kirby suggested in late April that once the rain stopped in Ukraine and it became warmer, Russia could go on the offensive.