U.S. intelligence: “Putin plans to introduce martial law in Russia”
Russian President Vladimir Putin will not end the war in Ukraine with a campaign in the Donbass and is going to break the road to Transnistria. This was stated by US Director of National Intelligence Avril Haynes, reports AFP. Washington considers it increasingly likely that Putin will introduce martial law and begin mobilization in the country.
“We estimate that President Putin is preparing for a protracted conflict in Ukraine, during which he still intends to achieve goals outside the Donbass,” Haynes said. Russian forces remain determined to conquer territory on the Black Sea coast, in part to secure Crimea’s water resources, she said.
However, the head of American intelligence believes, the Russian contingent is not strong enough and numerous enough to capture and hold the entire planned territory without extensive mobilization of troops and resources. According to her, the Russian leader “faces a mismatch between ambitions and Russia’s current conventional military capabilities.”
US intelligence believes that Putin will only approve the use of “tactical” nuclear weapons if Russia itself comes under an “existential threat.” Haynes believes that Moscow will clearly signal when it will be ready to use nuclear weapons.
Haynes, who oversees all US intelligence agencies, including the CIA and the National Security Agency, said they do not believe the Russian leader is ready to escalate the conflict with nuclear weapons. Putin is using nuclear “rhetoric” to scare the West away from supporting Ukraine, she said. Russia could amplify this rhetoric by launching new nuclear deterrent exercises.
