The war in Ukraine is now in deadlock, a spy chief from the country has reportedly confirmed, telling the BBC that neither his country nor Russia have been able to break the other’s defences in an apparent plea for more weapons.
Kyrylo Budanov, the head of military intelligence in Ukraine, has reportedly told the broadcaster that fighting between his nation and Russia is now deadlocked, with neither side being able to make any headway.
The spy chief is said to have then asked for more western weapons, a common request from Ukrainian officials since the start of the conflict earlier this year.
According to a report by the BBC, Budanov has described the situation as being “stuck”, with Russia’s offensive on the country having now long run out of steam.
“It doesn’t move,” he remarked. “We can’t defeat them in all directions comprehensively. Neither can they.”
According to the UK state-owned broadcaster, developments have slowed significantly along the 1,000km frontline, with the cold Ukrainian winter slowing the country’s counteroffensive against Russia, which is now largely on the defence.
Overall, the fiercest battles are said to be occurring around Bakhmut, which is located in the eastern Donetsk region.
While speaking of the deadlock, Budanov used the opportunity to stress the importance of his country being given weapons from the West, with the military intelligence officer suggesting that more supplies may be able to grant Ukraine the ability to punch through Russia’s defence.
“We’re very much looking forward to new weapons supplies, and to the arrival of more advanced weapons,” the Ukrainian official reportedly said.
Such a claim is hardly surprising considering Ukraine’s repeated requests for more military support throughout the war, with the nation’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, frequently using his many public appearances to put pressure on his western counterparts to send more arms.
“Russia still has the advantage in artillery and missiles,” the Ukrainian head of state reportedly told the G7 earlier this month while requesting modern tanks, rocket artillery and long-range missiles be provided to him.
Although such requests have occasionally devolved into diplomatic rows with certain western nations, Ukraine’s pleas for more guns, missiles and other tools of destruction have largely been successful, with billions of dollars worth of supplies being sent to the country this year.
Most recently, the United States even agreed to provide Kyiv with its Patriot Missile air defence system, with the White House saying that its provision will help “defend the Ukrainian people against Russia’s barbaric attacks on Ukraine’s critical infrastructure”.
Such a decision to hand over the defence system will likely come at a hefty price for the U.S. taxpayer, with each missile used by the platform costing somewhere in the region of $3 million.