World

Putin still wants to take most of Ukraine: US

June 30, 2022 5:00 pm

[Source: BBC]

Russian President Vladimir Putin still wants to capture most of Ukraine, US intelligence agencies believe.

Moscow’s troops have been so weakened by combat, however, that US officials assess they are only capable of making slow territorial gains.

It means the war could last for a long time, Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines says.

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In March Moscow refocused its efforts on seizing Ukraine’s Donbas area after failing to take Kyiv and other cities.

Since failing to achieve its initial goal of capturing Kyiv, Russia has focused on seizing territory in the eastern Donbas region – a large, industrial area where Mr Putin falsely claims Ukraine has carried out a genocide against Russian speakers.

Russian forces have made gains there, recently taking control of the city of Severodonetsk, but progress has been slow and Ukrainian forces have put up strong resistance.