The war in Ukraine has begun to heat up even more in recent weeks since Russian President Vladimir Putin's announcement of partial mobilization, enlisting civilians into the military.
According to the intelligence updates from the British Ministry of Defence, Russian forces have been suffering heavy casualties for months, and the last several weeks have been no exception. British Intelligence reported on October 10 that Russian forces "likely included Wagner private military units, including personnel recently recruited from Russian prisons." Evidently, the mobilization of the citizenry is not the only strategy Russia is using to boost its numbers.
"It is likely that the Armed Forces of Ukraine will enter the territory of the Crimean Peninsula by the end of spring 2023."
Major General Kyrylo Budanov
Russian state media outlet RIA contradicted this sentiment of Ukrainian superiority, claiming in a recent article that "the Ukrainian military spoke about the unpreparedness of the Armed Forces of Ukraine for the winter." The article mainly covered the Ukrainian military's lack of proper clothing for the cold winter months.
British Intelligence report
A message from Ukraine's intelligence branch of the Defense Ministry stated on October 1 that, "at the beginning of next year, the war with Russia will subside, and after the winter, the end of the conflict will begin with the entry into the administrative borders of Ukraine in 1991.
The report, which quoted the head of the Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, Major General Kyrylo Budanov added that "it is likely that the Armed Forces of Ukraine will enter the territory of the Crimean Peninsula by the end of spring 2023."
Maj. Gen. Budanov continued, saying that "there is no need to be afraid of mobilization. In fact, it is a gift to us. This will only speed up the process, which is already impossible to stop. It's agony. They will now face a problem that we have already experienced. By the way, this is the third episode in the history of the Russian Federation, when mobilization takes place: in 1914, 1941, and the third time - in 2022. Russia has found itself in a dead end."