Former CIA chief optimistic about Ukraine’s looming counteroffensive

That’s according to General (Ret.) David Petraeus, former Commander of United States Central Command and ex-Director of the CIA, who spoke with Ukrinform during his visit to the American University Kyiv.

“(Chief of Russia’s General Staff Valeriy – ed.) Gerasimov and Defense Minister Sergei – ed.) Shoigu are looking for any capability they can find” to gain some ground against increasingly professional, skilled, and well-equipped Ukrainian forces, said General Petraeus.

Speaking of the notorious Wagner Group, the general says it has been rendered “essentially combat ineffective.”

“They have ground that organization into the mud” in Bakhmut’s urban setting.

Widely speaking, the Russian invasion grouping is no longer a coherent and cohesive force, General Petraeus believes, despite the additional mobilization waves that brought its overall number to nearly 400,000, that’s including the so-called private military companies and Kadyrov’s troops.

Russia’s special operations forces have been used as light infantry, therefore losing their capabilities, as well as Marine forces that are operating on the ground.

This incoherence, as well as a constant reshuffle of commanders and a lack of large reserves, is the reason why Ukraine’s newly-formed brigades, equipped with Western tanks and fighting vehicles, will generate combined arms effect that “will bring about the crumbling – and very likely the collapse – of the Russian forces” in the areas where they will attack.

The question is, General Petraeus added, whether Ukraine will be able to get the large portion of the front moving, forcing the Russians to react.

Once the invaders thin out their lines, this will open up even more opportunities for further advance by Ukraine’s Army.

“I think this is going to happen and I think there’s going to be considerable success,” David Petraeus said, adding that in his opinion, Ukrainian soldiers trained on foreign soil, will show their newly-gained skills on the battlefield.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, General David Petraeus, speaking at the Kyiv Security Forum on May 26, said it will be extremely difficult for the Russians to defend themselves and withdraw after contact with the Ukrainian forces attacking.

As previously reported, the head of the Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense, Kyrylo Budanov, said that the Army had accumulated enough forces and weapons in order to start actions to liberate Ukrainian territories that have come under Russia’s temporary control.