Russia is about to win the war in Ukraine thanks to its larger troop reserves, military-industrial capacity to produce large quantities of weapons and ammunition and support offered by countries such as North Korea and China, he warned on Monday. the military intelligence agency of Norway, reports AFP.

At the presentation of the annual risk assessment report for the service, its director, Nils Andreas Stensones, said that Ukraine would need “substantial” military assistance from the West to hope to turn the tide of the conflict in its favor.

“Russia is now in a stronger situation than a year ago”

• “In this war, Russia is now in a stronger position than it was a year ago and is going to take advantage,” said Norway’s head of military intelligence.

He argued that Russia can mobilize three times as many troops as Ukraine, that it is adapting to sanctions better than the West expected, and that Russian industry is now capable of producing enough ammunition, combat vehicles, drones and missiles to allow Russian forces to “maintain their military efforts throughout the year.”

In addition, Russia benefits from the military support of North Korea, Iran, Belarus and China. The latter does not supply Moscow with weapons, but “vehicles, electronics and spare parts” useful for the Russian military industry, explained the head of military intelligence of Norway.

“We will need significant help from the West in the form of weapons so that Ukrainian forces can defend themselves and regain the initiative in the conflict,” concluded the head of military intelligence of Norway, also recalling the need of the Ukrainian army for ammunition, long-range weapons, and anti-missile weapons. aviation systems, tanks and fighters, writes Agerpres with reference to AFP.

Norway, together with Denmark and the Netherlands, is among the European countries that have pledged to provide Ukraine with the F-16 multi-purpose aircraft, which Kyiv insists on.

“Norway and Europe must be ready to take more responsibility for their own security and the security of their allies,” Norwegian Defense Minister Björn Arild Gram responded.

Washington has been a major supporter of Ukraine, which it has offered since the start of the Russian invasion in February 2022 in financial and military aid totaling about $113 billion, but an additional package of more than $60 billion requested by Democratic President Joe Biden is blocked in Congress by Republicans former President Donald Trump, which increases the burden on the EU to support Ukraine.

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