Leaked Assessment Reveals Stalemate in Ukraine-Russia Conflict
Via CNN
Summary
A trove of leaked U.S. Pentagon intelligence documents that surfaced in April 2023 painted a pessimistic picture of the war in Ukraine, with one assessment explicitly predicting that fighting in the Donbas region was heading toward a stalemate throughout the year. The documents indicated that Russia was unlikely to achieve its goal of capturing the entire Donbas, while Ukrainian forces also lacked the troop strength and supplies needed for decisive breakthroughs.
The leak also revealed that U.S. intelligence saw little prospect for peace negotiations in any foreseeable scenario, and estimated cumulative casualties of up to 354,000 killed or wounded on both sides since the full-scale invasion began. The documents appeared to have originated from classified briefing slides and prompted a criminal investigation by the U.S. Justice Department. Some files showed signs of alteration, and both Russia and Ukraine questioned their authenticity.
