Russian President Vladimir Putin enters the St. George Corridor on the Grand Kremlin Palace in Moscow.
Mikhail Klimentyev | AFP | Getty Photographs
WASHINGTON – Russian President Vladimir Putin is more likely to boost up the Kremlin’s army marketing campaign in Ukraine amid stalled development after just about two weeks at battle, U.S. officers warned Tuesday.
The intelligence chiefs, who had prior to now warned of Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, defined quite a few problems the Russian army is these days dealing with at the battlefield.
“We assess Moscow underestimated the power of Ukraine’s resistance and the level of inner army demanding situations we’re gazing which come with an ill-constructed plan, morale problems and substantial logistical problems,” Avril Haines, director of nationwide intelligence, stated sooner than the Space Intelligence Committee.
U.S. intelligence analysts imagine the ones setbacks would possibly not deter Putin, who “as a substitute might escalate, necessarily doubling down,” she stated.
“We assess Putin feels aggrieved the West does now not give him correct deference and perceives this as a battle he can not manage to pay for to lose,” added Haines, who leads The usa’s 18 intelligence companies.
Along Haines, CIA director William Burns advised lawmakers that Putin is rising more and more annoyed that Kyiv has now not but fallen to Russian forces.
“As an alternative of seizing Kyiv throughout the first two days of the marketing campaign, which was once what his plan was once premised upon, after just about two weeks, they nonetheless have now not been in a position to completely encircle the town,” Burns stated.
“I feel Putin is indignant and annoyed at this time. He is more likely to double down and take a look at to grind down the Ukrainian army without a regard for civilian casualties,” Burns warned.
The officers declined to elaborate on what particularly Putin would do subsequent in addition to supply a timeline for such strikes.
The testimony equipped by way of The usa’s best undercover agent chiefs enhances the intelligence group’s unclassified model of the once a year risk review document. The document was once compiled sooner than Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
On the Pentagon, a senior U.S. protection professional one at a time stated Tuesday that Russian forces are pursuing 4 other advances on Kyiv and are roughly 12 miles from the town heart.
The professional, who spoke at the situation of anonymity, stated that Russian troop actions deeper into Ukraine have slowed.
“They nonetheless appear to be plagued by way of logistics and sustainment demanding situations,” defined the professional, including that the Russians are dealing with considerable gas and meals shortages.
“We’ve each expectation that they’re going to check out to conquer the ones demanding situations,” the professional added.
The professional added that just about the entire Russian forces as soon as covered on Ukraine’s borders at the moment are in Ukraine.
“We assess that almost, now not all however just about 100% of the forces that they’d gathered are throughout the nation now and obviously they’re throughout the nation with the intent to transport alongside those more than one strains of get entry to,” the professional stated.
Previous within the week, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby stated that Russian drive actions in Ukraine have slowed.
“The Russians proceed to get annoyed and decelerate and so they in reality have not made any noteworthy development in the previous couple of days,” Kirby stated.
“They’re having morale issues. They’re having provide issues. They’re having gas issues. They are having meals issues. They’re assembly an overly stiff and decided Ukrainian resistance,” he added.
