Lithuania’s military intelligence service has warned that Russia’s war against Ukraine, which was formerly only anticipated to last a few months, could continue for another two years.
Moscow still possesses a stockpile of Cold War-era weaponry, according to the secret agency, which it might deploy to “do enormous damage” to Ukraine.
Elegijus Paulavicius, the head of military intelligence, told reporters that Russia had been acquiring weapons and equipment throughout the lengthy Cold War.
‘We estimate that (its) resources would last for another two years of a war of the same intensity as today.’
Paulavicius, the head of the Second Investigation Department, added that the agency’s figure is based on Russia receiving no support from other countries.
‘How long Russia is able to wage the war will also depend on the support for Russia’s military from states such as Iran and North Korea,’ he said, Reuters reported.
Fears are already mounting that China could provide Russia with ‘lethal’ weapons, while Iran has long faced accusations of sending the country drones.
The colonel’s estimate is in contrast to the Pentagon’s which last year expected the conflict to peter out this year as Russia’s equipment wears out.
Paulavicius was speaking in Vilnius as he announced a new report that suggested support in Russia for the war ‘is not as big as the regime’s propaganda tried to make it seem’.
‘Dissatisfaction with the regime’s policies is currently taking a passive form: mostly avoiding mobilisation, complaining about poor provision and disarray in the army,’ the document said.
If Vladimir Putin issues another mobilisation decree or suffers even more losses on the battlefield, this ‘would have negative consequences for the stability of the regime’.
Data on how much weaponry and equipment Russia has is slim. One estimate places the monetary value of it all at more than $17,500,000,000.
It’s unclear how many military aircraft, helicopters, tanks, boats and other vehicles the Kremlin has at its disposal. Though the monitoring group UAWAR places the number of artillery systems Russia has at 10.
Russia has lost about half of its total number of modern tanks in the past year of the war, the International Institute for Strategic Studies estimated last month.
Though, the military think-tank said Russia still has thousands of older tanks in storage ready to be deployed.