Russia unlikely to make major Ukraine gains this year – US intelligence chief

Avril Haines tells of ‘grinding, attritional war’ but sounds cautious note over Ukraine’s prospects in expected counter-offensive

Washington does not believe the Russian military can recover from its losses in Ukraine to make territorial gains there this year, the top US intelligence official has said, but she warned that Vladimir Putin still believes that time is on his side.

The assessment, presented by the director of national intelligence, Avril Haines, at a Senate hearing on Wednesday morning, was noncommittal on whether Ukraine could take back significant amounts of occupied land in its planned counter-offensive this spring. Haines said that would depend on multiple factors, including the loss of Ukrainian troops and equipment in resisting Russian attacks.