Russia may shift to a strategy of holding and defending existing positions because it lacks the ammunition and troops to make significant territorial gains in Ukraine in 2023, Avril Haynes, director of the US National Intelligence Service, said on Wednesday, as quoted by the New York Times. .

According to Haynes, after recent setbacks on the battlefield, Vladimir Putin has begun to recognize the challenges facing the Russian military and may adjust his strategy in the short term.

Morale issues and ammunition shortages

Moscow may choose to continue the war against Ukraine, even if it means delaying offensive actions for a long time, as the best way to achieve its strategic goals, Haynes told the Senate Intelligence Committee.

“Even as the Russian offensive continues, they face high casualty rates,” the NYT quoted a senior intelligence official as saying. In addition to personnel losses, the Russian military is reportedly suffering from severe morale problems and ammunition shortages.

“Unless Russia begins mandatory mobilization and discovers significant stockpiles of third-party munitions, it will be increasingly difficult for it to maintain its current level of offensive operations in the coming months,” Haynes added.

She also said that Russia is making “gradual progress” in the city of Bakhmut in Ukraine’s Donetsk region, but that it is not “a particularly strategic goal.”

Haynes’ words echoed recent statements by US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin that the fall of Bakhmut would not be a significant setback for the Ukrainian army.

• Putin believes that continuing the war in Ukraine may be the best way to protect strategic interests – Haynes