Putin's Army Faces Collapse – Former CIA Director

In winter, the Armed Forces of Ukraine will continue to advance and reclaim territories captured by the Russians.

At the same time, the Russian army may begin to collapse from within. This was stated by former Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) David Petraeus in an interview with Voice of America.

The former CIA chief believes that the Ukrainian Armed Forces are better equipped and better acquainted with the terrain, while Russia is using untrained soldiers as 'cannon fodder'. Petraeus also pointed out the incompetence of the actions of the Russian Armed Forces, including their lack of proper preparation for the invasion on February 24.

According to him, the Ukrainian Defense Forces will have an advantage in winter because they are supported by the population.

'Citizens will do everything possible to support their soldiers. If a soldier knocks on a Ukrainian citizen's door and asks: 'Hello, can I warm up and have a bowl of soup?' Obviously, the answer will be: 'Yes, please,' says Petraeus.

In the opinion of the former CIA chief, the Russian Armed Forces have demonstrated a lack of logistical structure, horrific communication conditions; anyone with a police scanner can find and intercept or record their conversations.

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'A major factor is the huge losses that Russia will sustain in Ukraine, and these bodies are being returned home. Severely wounded individuals are returning, gradually raising questions among the Russian population, which can be seen in Russian surveys about the nature of this war, how it is going, and whether it should continue. At some point, Vladimir Putin (President of Russia. Gazeta.ua) will have to acknowledge that this cannot go on any longer. He does not see that yet,' suggests the general.

Petraeus noted that the course of military actions in Ukraine is changing the understanding of modern warfare worldwide. In his opinion, this war has taught several lessons, and the first one is leadership.

'President Vladimir Zelensky is an excellent strategic leader, brilliantly fulfilling four key tasks of strategic leadership: generating the right main idea or strategy, effectively communicating it, overseeing its implementation, and determining what needs to be improved to do it again and again and again,' said Petraeus.

At the same time, the Russian president has failed with these four tasks, the general believes. He adds: Ukraine has the right to strike military targets on Russian territory, even if the West fears this.

'President Vladimir Putin has demonstrated a terrible ability to make decisions. Clearly, he has made catastrophically poor decisions, communication has been horrific, execution has been terrible, and they seem to have learned little, making the same mistakes on the battlefield and internationally,' concluded Petraeus.

In March, during a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, the Russian dictator Vladimir Putin admitted: Ukrainians turned out to be stronger than he had been told. This was reported by The New York Times, citing two individuals familiar with the conversation.

The publication adds that one NATO member warned allies that Putin is ready to accept the loss or injury of up to 300,000 Russian servicemen, which is approximately three times his possible losses at present.