US spy chiefs have warned that Vladimir Putin may intensify his unprovoked attack on Ukraine and that the situation in Kyiv may become “desperate” in the next 10 days.
The intelligence community leaders say that despite the military setbacks for Russia and the sanctions the country now faces, the Kremlin is likely to continue to “escalate” its assault on the embattled country.
And the result could be that the capital city possibly runs out of food and water supplies within the next two weeks.
Lieutenant General Scott Berrier, director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, told the annual House of Representatives Intelligence Committee hearing on worldwide threats, that the situation in Kyiv could worsen quickly.
“I don’t have a specific number of days of supply that the population has. But with supplies being cut off, it will be somewhat desperate in, I would say, 10 days to two weeks,” he said.
Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines testified that despite the difficulties his troops have faced on the ground, Mr Putin “is unlikely to be deterred by such setbacks and instead may escalate.”
She also said that despite Russia’s nuclear posturing and elevation of its forces’ readiness, the US had not observed any changes beyond what has been previously seen during international crises.
William Burns, director of the CIA, agreed that Russia was unlikely to back down.
“I think Putin is angry and frustrated right now. He’s likely to double down and try to grind down the Ukrainian military with no regard for civilian casualties,” he said.
And he testified that CIA analysts do not see how Mr Putin can take Kyiv and install a pro-Moscow puppet government.
“I fail to see how he can produce that kind of an end game and where that leads, I think, is for an ugly next few weeks in which he doubles down ... with scant regard for civilian casualties,” he said.
