Ukrainian Intel Predicts 'Crucial Events' On War Front On Independence Day

Amid the Ukraine military's claim that it repelled Russian assaults across the front lines in the eastern Donetsk region, the Chief Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine had predicted that "crucial events" may occur shortly.

Andrii Yusov, the representative of the press service of the Chief Directorate of Intelligence, said there will certainly be some pivotal events on all fronts in the near future, according to Ukrainska Pravda.

"These events won't necessarily be connected to particular dates, though Independence Day [of Ukraine which falls on 24 August] is being discussed a great deal at the moment, and this factor should be taken into consideration," Yusov added.

He also recalled earlier predictions of the Intelligence Directorate that "August and September will be important months for further combat action along the entire front."

"At the moment the global and strategic tasks undertaken by Putin, who maniacally hates Ukraine, have not changed, but ever since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began, Russia has been getting farther and farther away from achieving these goals," he added.

The war continues, and there is active fighting on almost all fronts, Yusov further said.

His statement comes amid Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov's stance that there can be no "freezing" of the war in Ukraine at the moment. Reznikov said despite that, reduced activity is possible, depending on the season.

"And again, modern warfare is a war of resources. Resources, of course, are being depleted on both sides. And accordingly, each side needs time to recover," he told VOA.

He added that Russian troops have lost at least a third of their combat potential, used during the attack on Ukraine. Russians lost 30% of their elite corps — paratroopers, marines, special forces, and officers and sergeants at an average age of 35, he added.

Meanwhile, Ukraine has claimed it pushed back Russian forces across the front lines in the eastern Donetsk region, the military's General Staff said on Thursday. "[Russia] led an offensive in the Mykolaivka-Vyimka direction, was unsuccessful, withdrew," the General Staff said of Moscow's push toward the key city of Kramatorsk.

"The bulk of the fighting had been concentrated around the town of Bakhmut, which has remained under heavy Russian artillery fire."