According to Norwegian intelligence services, Russia is on the verge of gaining military upper hand over Ukraine
Russia is gaining the upper hand militarily in Ukraine, warned Norwegian military intelligence chief Nils Andreas Stensoenes, presenting the annual risk assessment report by the Norwegian security services.
“In this war, Russia is currently in a stronger position than a year ago and is gaining the advantage”, he declared to the press. To support his remarks, he argued that Russia “could mobilize about three times as many troops as Ukraine”that “Moscow is adapting better than expected to sanctions” and that its industry is now capable of producing munitions, combat vehicles, drones and missiles enabling its forces to “maintain their war efforts all year round”.
Russia, he said, benefits from military support from North Korea, Iran, Belarus and China, which, according to him, has not provided weapons but “machines, vehicles, electronics and spare parts” useful to the Russian arms industry.
“Substantial Western arms assistance will be required so that Ukrainian forces can defend themselves and regain the initiative in the conflict”he insisted, recalling that the needs for ammunition, long-range weapons, anti-aircraft defense, tanks and combat aircraft.
Norway is, with Denmark and the Netherlands in particular, one of the European countries to have committed to supplying Ukraine with F-16 fighters, an aircraft that Kiev is insistently requesting from its allies. “Norway and Europe must be prepared to take more responsibility for ensuring their own security and that of their allies”reacted the Norwegian Minister of Defense, Bjorn Arild Gram.