Vadym Skibitsky, deputy head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense, noted in a podcast for UP that the Russian Federation has sufficient mobilization resources capable of compensating for losses and maintains a high level of staffing of its military units. In the context of the discussion of the expediency for Ukraine to concentrate on defense this year and to focus on the development of its own capabilities, Skibitsky noted that much will depend on the partner countries.
The journalist noted that no breakthrough is predicted in 2024 and recommends Ukraine to focus on building its own capabilities for further actions in 2025. In response to a question about advantages in a "long-term war", Skibitsky pointed out that sitting exclusively on the defensive has no prospects, since the Russian Federation has a sufficient mobilization reserve and the ability to quickly recover losses.
He also emphasized that the development of Ukraine's own capabilities will be determined by its defense-industrial complex and emphasized the need to localize production. Noting that Russian intelligence does not understand exactly where the factories are located, it demonstrates a readiness to strike in order to complicate Ukraine's planning and actions.
Skibitskyi also noted the importance of partnerships and joint production, which will determine the development of the country's defense capabilities, and pointed to the role of sanctions in restraining the supply of ready-made weapons to the Russian Federation. At the same time, the Russian occupiers, trying to solve their own production problems, are faced with the lack of a high-tech base necessary for the production of high-precision weapons.
