Russia wants to start a big and long war of attrition in Ukraine, counting on the fact that the West, which provides military aid to Kyiv, will not be able to withstand it.

Military expert Oleg Zhdanov told about this in an interview with TSN.ua.

Commenting on the plans of the Russian Federation for a protracted war, he expressed doubts that the aggressor country will be able to form the grouping of troops necessary for its new spring offensive.

"They really want to start a big war.

The question is how to start this war

. We will see, there are even some doubts that by March there will be a group of 200,000 ready to carry out an offensive operation. And Putin is making a plan to collect half a million by the summer, and then they still need to be trained, armed with something," said Zhdanov.

At the same time, he assured that the West is ready for war in the long run.

"Yes,

they really hope for a long war

. Because the main criterion for this war is that the West may not be able to withstand a war of attrition. But I recall the words of Joe Biden when he was at a joint press conference with President Zelensky during his visit to Washington said the following phrase, addressing it, as I understand it, to Putin: 

"Do you want to fight with us for a long time?

Try it

. So the West is ready for war in the long run," the military expert noted.

"But in February we will see how Russia will be able to wage a long war," Zhdanov stressed.

It will be recalled that on January 16, Ukrainian intelligence reported that Russian President Vladimir Putin did not expect that the war against Ukraine would drag on for a long time, so he is now considering the option of long-term attrition.

All reserves and resources are being mobilized in Russia for this.

The head of the Bellingcat intelligence community, Hristo Grozev, also announced that the Russian Federation was preparing for a protracted war.

He explained that in September 2022, they realized that they could not win the war, so they decided to make it protracted - from two to four years.

Otherwise, Russia would be threatened with collapse.

Note that Zhdanov previously assessed that Russia in Ukraine, as in Afghanistan at one time, will not drag out the war of attrition. 

Read also:

  • Ukraine news

  • War in Ukraine

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