Russians being prepared for protracted war - British intelligence

The war against Ukraine, which Russia hoped to end quickly, has dragged on, so the Kremlin authorities are constantly looking for ways to justify it in the eyes of the Russian people

The UK Ministry of Defence has posted this on social media platform X, citing intelligence data, Ukrinform reported.

On 14 February 2024, Russian Presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists that while the "special military operation began as an operation against Ukraine, over time it has taken on the form of a war against the collective West, a war when the countries of the collective West, led by the United States, are directly involved in this conflict." 

Analysts wrote that this is broadly consistent with a trend in Russian official rhetoric that seeks to excuse the length of the conflict, and scale of Russian losses through the depiction of the war as a direct conflict with the West.

Peskov went on to acknowledge that the 'special military operation' "may last a bit longer, but this can't change the course of things." This forms part of the Russian official narrative almost certainly aimed at situating the domestic population for a long-term conflict and the associated decline in domestic living standards, while providing reassurance of ultimate Russian victory.

As reported, according to State Border Guard Service spokesman Andrii Demchenko, Russia currently does not have enough forces on the northern border to attack.