Fighting for Ukraine dey set to slow down for winter months – US intelligence

Forces of di self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic prepare to fire one self-propelled mortar 2S4 'Tulip' not far from Bakhmut, Donetsk region, Ukraine, 01 December 2022

EPA

Di fighting for Ukraine don dey slow down and dis go likely continue in di coming winter months, US intelligence agencies believe.

However, no evidence dey say resistance on di part of Ukrainian forces dey fade, US director of intelligence Avril Haines tok.

She say both sides go try to “refit, resupply and reconstitute” for any counter-offensive during spring.

Dis one follow Russian attacks on Ukraine critical energy infrastructure.

Di war for Ukraine now dey in dia ninth month, but Russia don lose more dan half di land wey dem bin seize.

Ms Haines tell one defence forum for California say most of di fighting dey currently around di Bakhmut and Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine.

She say fighting bin don slow down afta Russia withdrawal of troops from di west of di Kherson region last month.”

We dey see a kind of a reduced tempo already of di conflict… and we expect say e dey likely to be wetin we see in di coming months,” she tok.

She say both Ukraine and Russian militaries go dey look to to prepare for any counter-offensive afta di winter.”

But we actually get a fair amount of doubt as to weda or not di Russians go be, in fact, prepared to do dat,” she tok.”

I tink more on di side of di Ukrainians in dat time frame.”

Ms Haines say US intelligence believe Russian President Vladimir Putin no get a full picture at dis stage of just how challenged im military dey.

“We see shortages of ammunition, for morale, supply issues, logistics, concerns wey dem dey face.”

Meanwhile on Saturday, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky describe one price cap – limit- wey im Western allies place on Russian oil exports as “weak” and say e no dey “serious” enough to cause damage to di Russian economy.

Di cap, wey suppose come into force on Monday, dey aimed at stopping kontries wey dey pay more dan $60 (£48) for a barrel of seaborne Russian crude oil.

Kremlin tok-tok pesin Dmitry Peskov say Moscow bin don prepare for di move but no go sell im oil under di cap.

For one virtual meeting on Sunday, one group of di world top oil-producing kontries dey expected to stick to im oil output targets.

For dia last ministerial session for October, di Opec+ group – wey dey made up of kontries including Russia and di United Arab Emirates – agree to reduce output by two million barrels per day from November in a bid to help boost oil prices.

Di move make di United States and oda Western nations vex as Washington accuse di group of siding with Russia.

Since October, oil prices don go down due to slower global growth and higher interest rates.

Opec sources say di group dey likely to approve one policy rollover.

Meanwhile, Ukraine security service say di goment for Kyiv dey impose sanctions against 10 senior Orthodox Church figures wey dem accuse say dem support Russia invasion.T

Di sanctions, wey go freeze dia assets for five years, na di latest move by di Ukrainian goment against religious groups wey de sm believe fit cause palava.