Ukraine intelligence chief says Russia may have resources to sustain war for two more years

Russia is economically much weaker than it was when the full-scale war began, but it may still have enough resources to continue fighting Ukraine through 2027 and 2028, Ukraine’s military intelligence chief Oleh Ivashchenko said.

In an interview with Ukrinform, Ivashchenko pointed to labor shortages, a growing federal budget deficit and worsening conditions in the banking system as the main problems facing the Russian economy. At the same time, he said Russia continued to possess sufficient resources for the war.

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Today, Russia is economically much weaker than it was when the full-scale war began. Its main economic problems are labor shortages, a growing federal budget deficit and a worsening banking system. At the same time, it still has enough resources to continue the war against Ukraine. We cannot rule out the possibility that these resources will last through both 2027 and 2028.

He argued that Ukraine and its foreign partners must work together to make economic sanctions effective. “Sanctions must really work,” Ivashchenko said, adding that Ukraine knows which countries supply Russia with electronic components, machine tools and specialized chemicals.

He also warned that many shell companies are being created to import goods into Russia, where its military machine later uses them against Ukraine. Ukraine expects its foreign partners to coordinate sanctions against identified Russian ballistic missile producers and tighten controls on exports of foreign components.

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Sanctions must really work. We know which countries supply Russia with electronic components, machine tools and specialized chemicals. Many shell companies are emerging that bring goods into Russia, and its military machine later uses them against us.