Ukraine yet to face hardest part of winter period – defense intel

The hardest part of the winter period is ahead, and Ukraine would need more support.

The relevant statement was made by Andrii Yusov, the representative of the Main Intelligence Directorate at the Ukrainian Defense Ministry, during a nationwide telethon, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

“Russia is retaining certain capabilities to produce various types of weapons. It is a serious challenge for Ukraine’s security and defense forces and the pro-Ukrainian coalition. We need more support. The hardest part of winter is ahead. This means the need to strengthen Ukraine’s air defense systems,” Yusov told.

In his words, Russia has a lot of old Soviet-era military equipment, including armored vehicle. However, this equipment mostly cannot be quickly put back into operation, restored or modernized.

According to Yusov, Russia can restore some weapons and is doing so, but not in the desirable volumes.

Today, the aggressor state’s missile stocks are much lower compared to last year and the beginning of the full-scale invasion. Nevertheless, Russia does have them, and the threat of enemy attacks on Ukraine’s civil and energy infrastructure, especially those involving missiles and drones at the same time, is persisting, Yusov added.