Ukraine’s intelligence chief doesn’t foresee long war, reveals Russian troops numbers

Kyiv’s Chief of Defense Intelligence believes the Russian war against Ukraine will not be a protracted one, and his agency reported that Moscow amassed over 420,000 troops in the occupied Ukrainian territories.

“I don't endorse the assumption that this will be a long war. This is my personal opinion, based on the analysis of the data we have, first of all, concerning the enemy,” Kyrylo Budanov said according to Interfax-Ukraine.

He said that the Russians are incapable of conducting protracted operations and added: “The professional army in the general sense ended last fall, they fight mobilized. This is also an obvious fact. Production of new types of weapons and equipment is insufficient. What they declare and try to show is not true,” according to Interfax-Ukraine.

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Vadym Skibitskyi, Deputy Chief of the Defense Intelligence said that Russia “amassed over 420,000 troops in our temporarily occupied territories and on the Crimean Peninsula. This is, if we do not take into account the Russian Guard, other structures, special units, power structures of the Russian Federation, which ensure the occupying power in our territorie.”

He added: “That's apart from the Russian National Guard, other bodies, special units, and the Russian security forces that support the occupying power in our territories.”

Skibitskyi also reported that Russia has deployed 46 launchers of the Iskander missile complex along the border with Ukraine.

“[Russia] has today deployed 46 launchers of the Iskander missile complex along the border with Ukraine. It was this complex that was attacked yesterday. Both ballistic missiles and cruise missiles from the Iskander complex. Thus, there is a methodical destruction, first of all, of civilian objects of our state,” he said.

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