Probability of Ukrainian positions collapsing, Estonian intelligence chief says

“Russia is trying to use the last opportunity before Western military aid fully arrives in Ukraine and is deployed,” Kiviselg said. Although Russian forces have not slowed the pace of their attacks, their successes are small in his view.

According to him, the Russian forces continue to apply pressure mainly on the city of Časiv Jar, on the areas west of Donetsk and also on the villages through which the railway between Avdijivka and Pokrovsk passes. According to him, the Russian troops achieved a local success in Ocheretyne near Avdijivka.

After months of delays, in recent days the USA has approved a law that provides for the gradual release of 61 billion dollars (over 1.4 trillion crowns) for military and economic support to Ukraine. After signing the document, US President Joe Biden said that new deliveries from the US would begin immediately and that Ukraine would start receiving air defense equipment, ammunition and armored vehicles “literally within hours”.

But some Ukrainian officials are skeptical about the speed with which the equipment will reach the front lines. Opposition Ukrainian lawmaker Vadym Ivchenko earlier told the AP that logistical and bureaucratic hurdles could delay aid delivery by two or three months.

In addition, the head of Estonian intelligence pointed out that Ukrainian air defenses succeeded in reducing the effectiveness of Russian bombers in the past week. According to him, Ukraine is also carrying out systematic strikes targeting army facilities on the Russian-occupied peninsula of Crimea and oil infrastructure facilities on Russian territory.