Fighting in Ukraine is slowing, a trend that is likely to continue into the coming winter months. This is the development of the conflict, according to the American agencies, according to what was explained by the Director of National Intelligence, Avril Haines, who spoke at a defense forum that took place in California. He stressed that however, there is no evidence of waning resistance by Ukrainian forces. According to Haines, the contenders at this point will try to work to “repair, rejuvenate and reconfigure” their forces in light of the counter-offensive in the spring.
The fighting – he continued – is now mainly taking place around the Bakhmut and Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine. Clashes have subsided since the withdrawal of Russian forces from the western Kherson region last month. “We are already seeing a kind of decrease in the tempo of conflict … and we expect that this is probably what we will see again in the coming months,” he said. The Ukrainian and Russian armies will try to prepare for a counterattack after the winter. “But we actually have a great deal of doubt that the Russians would actually be willing to do that,” he said.
British intelligence: “Less and fewer Russians support war 55% for talks”
Recent polls indicate that Russian public support for the so-called military special operation is declining dramatically. According to data compiled for internal use by Russia’s Federal Protection Service — data that independent Russian media said they had access to — 55% of the sample surveyed supported peace talks with Ukraine, and only 25% said they supported continuing the conflict. Written by British intelligence in the latest report issued by the Ministry of Defense in London.
These findings are consistent with a separate poll last October in which 57% of respondents said they supported the talks. Until April 2022, about 80% of Russians said they supported the operation. But despite the efforts of the authorities to impose widespread control over information, for many Russians the conflict has become increasingly tangible since the “partial mobilization” of September 2022. And with the difficulties that Moscow will face in the coming months in its efforts to achieve significant successes in battlefield, and maintaining tacit approval of war among the population will likely be increasingly difficult for the Kremlin.
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