Russia could run out of 'military tools' by spring after wasting a 'huge amounts' of soldiers and weapons, Ukraine spy chief says

• Russia could run out of "military tools" by the spring, Ukraine's spy chief told USA Today.
• The country has wasted "human resources, armaments, and materials," Maj. Gen. Kyrylo Budanov said.

A top Ukraine military leader anticipated that Russia could be out of "military tools" if the country "fails in its aims" by spring.

"Russia has wasted huge amounts of human resources, armaments, and materials. Its economy and production cannot cover these losses," Maj. Gen. Kyrylo Budanov, Ukraine's military intelligence chief, told USA Today in an interview published on Thursday.

As Russia's invasion of Ukraine entered its second year, Budanoc speculated on when it might end.

He said the two nations would fight "a decisive battle this spring, and this battle will be the final one before this war ends." But he did not provide any specific details about this prediction.

In recent weeks, Russian forces have made limited advances in war-torn eastern Ukraine — a Ukrainian commander recently said that the situation in the city of Bakhmut is "critical," Insider previously reported.

But Russian troops on the front line are facing heavy casualties, as the country sends "ill-equipped, ill-trained" soldiers into battle with Soviet-era weapons.

Meanwhile, questions over whether China will keep providing Russia with lethal aid continue as Ukraine pushes for increased military assistance from allies.

"This conflict has already grown into an existential war between Russia and the West," Budanov said in the USA Today interview.

"This means a Ukrainian victory over Russia is a common victory," he added. "And if Ukraine falls — though unlikely — it's a defeat for all of Western civilization."