The head of the Main Directorate of Intelligence (GUR) of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, Kirill Budanov, predicted the timing of decisive battles with Russian troops. In an interview with Forbes.ua, he said that such battles could take place from mid to late spring.

“Yes, it [will be] a turning point,” Budanov said. According to him, the Russian troops have already launched a major offensive.

On February 1, Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine Oleksiy Danilov said that the coming months would be decisive for the further course of hostilities in the republic. “We have gone through a long difficult period, but I understand that the main battles are still ahead, and they will take place this year, within two to three months,” he said.