JAKARTA - Britain's intelligence chief believes Russian President Vladimir Putin has made an epic mistake in the war in Ukraine, even though the country's troops have made progress on the battlefield, but it is not significant even causing them to face a personnel shortage.
The head of MI6's Secret Intelligence Service (SIS) Richard Moore said that although the war was not over yet, Russia was considered to be starting to "run out of power" which forced its troops to halt military operations in Ukraine in the coming weeks.
“I think he has had a strategic failure in Ukraine. It's definitely not over," Moore said at the Aspen Safety Forum in Colorado, launching The National News July 22.
"He has clearly made and the Russian troops have made, some additional progress over the last few weeks and months, but it is a small amount," he said.
“We talked about a few miles in advance. When they took a city, there was nothing left. It is obliterated. And I think they're going to run out of steam. I think our assessment is that Russia will find it increasingly difficult to supply manpower over the next few weeks."
"They have to stop in some way and that will give Ukraine a chance to strike back. Their morale is still high. They are starting to receive a good increase in weaponry," said Moore.
With winter coming and pressure on gas supplies, “we are in a tough time”, said Moore, who believes a Ukrainian counterattack could spread the benefits across Europe.
"I think it's important for Ukraine themselves that they show their ability to strike back. I think it will be very important to continue their high morale.
"I also think, to be honest, this will be an important reminder to the rest of Europe that this is a campaign that Ukraine can win."
Nearly five months since Russia invaded Ukraine, Kyiv hopes Western weapons, especially long-range missiles such as the US HIMARS which Kyiv has deployed in recent weeks, will allow it to launch a counterattack in the coming weeks and retake Russian-occupied territory.
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