This was stated by Serhii Kyslytsia, First Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, in an interview with Ukrinform.

“Putin currently has no desire whatsoever to sit down at the negotiating table, and from the start of winter until its end—that is, at least until mid-March—he will have even less motivation, because he will believe that Ukrainians are not strong enough as a nation to survive this winter,” Kyslytsia said.

According to him, Russia’s strategy for the coming winter is based on dividing Ukrainian society and the calculation that “some will not be able to endure it, some will start fleeing, and some will take up pitchforks against the government, the village council, their neighbors, or their brothers.”

Kyslytsia noted that Ukraine weathered last winter with dignity despite the blackouts. At the same time, he pointed out that the armed conflict in Iran, which began in late February, had depleted Ukraine’s stockpiles of anti-ballistic weapons.

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winter

In this context, he suggested that this winter “we will all be put to the test of resilience.” However, according to the first deputy head of the Office of the President, the enemy will be able to win only “if Ukrainians weaken themselves, if we lack unity.”

As reported by Ukrinform, Major General Vadym Skibitskyi, deputy head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense, stated that Russia is not ready to cease hostilities on the front lines, and that in the fall and winter, the Russians will focus on shelling defense industry facilities, energy infrastructure, logistics systems, and gas stations.