Kyrylo Budanov, Chief of Ukraine’s Defence Intelligence, predicts that the Russian offensive ongoing since 2023 will soon succumb to attrition, allowing a new Ukrainian counteroffensive to begin, Paralel.Az reports citing Ukrainska Pravda.

"Currently, the Russian Federation's offensive operation is ongoing, having started in November 2023. As of now, it has been over two and a half months since it began. The results − well, you can see them for yourself. To say that they have achieved significant success would be untrue. Unfortunately for us, they have made some advances in the field. And also [you know] what happened near Avdiivka," Budanov said.

However, Budanov added, these very minor successes are not what the Russians had counted on achieving. He noted that the Russian forces wanted to quickly reach the defensive line along the Chornyi Zherebets ("Black Stallion") River in Kharkiv Oblast and the administrative border of the Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts, but as it turned out, "they didn’t even come close."

"But their offensive continues. Somewhere in early spring, it will be completely exhausted... It will end, and, I believe, ours will begin," summarised Budanov.