A top-ranking US intelligence official warned that Russian President Vladimir Putin is apt to implement martial law in Russia to sustain Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.
US Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines disclosed in a Senate hearing on Tuesday that Putin might employ "more drastic means" to make sure that his war against Ukraine will endure, as per a report from Business Insider.
Putin may also order extra industrial output to compensate for lost assets in the battle, as well as "potentially escalatory" military steps to allocate the resources required to accomplish his objectives as the fighting continues" or if he thinks Russia is losing the war.
Putin's goals are higher than Russia's military strength, which "likely implies the next few months might see us going along a more unpredictable and perhaps "escalatory trajectory," according to Haines, who spoke before a Senate hearing per Insider Paper.
In her testimony, Haines also stated that US intelligence estimates Putin is "getting ready for a prolonged conflict in Ukraine," in which he still seeks to accomplish goals far beyond Donbas.
After its soldiers faltered outside of Kyiv and were eventually forced to withdraw, Russia refocused its invasion of Ukraine on the country's eastern Donbas area. Putin's forces have been accused of committing a slew of war crimes against Ukrainians, including indiscriminate shelling of civilian areas and the killing of civilians.
Russia Could Deploy Its Nuclear Weapons Against Ukraine
The US intelligence community does not believe Russia is planning to deploy nuclear weapons in Ukraine, and Putin would only authorize the firing of a nuclear weapon if he believed Russia was confronting an existential threat.
Haines, who supervises the US intelligence community, including the CIA and the National Security Agency, stated that he does not believe Putin is ready to intensify the crisis by using nuclear weapons.
According to Haines, Putin utilizes nuclear "rhetoric" to scare the West away from supporting Ukraine.
She suggested that because he believes the West is ignoring his warnings, Russia may escalate the rhetoric by initiating a new nuclear military exercise featuring the deployment of his nuclear threats on land, air, and submarines.
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Nevertheless, Haines said US intelligence believes Putin would only approve the use of even smaller "tactical" nuclear weapons if Russia itself were under "existential threat."
Nonetheless, US intelligence believes Putin would only authorize the use of even smaller "tactical" nuclear bombs if Russia faced an "existential" danger," according to Haines.
She predicted that Moscow would increase its signaling to indicate when it was ready to deploy nuclear weapons.
Russia-Ukraine in a Stalemate Situation
In the same hearing, US Defense Intelligence Agency Director Lt. Gen. Scott Berrier described the present battle in the Donbas region as "a bit of a stalemate," with both sides facing down along a lengthy front.
That, he added, might change if Moscow wages war and authorizes a general military mobilization to beef up its military.
Berrier told the senators that if Moscow does not proclaim war and "mobilize," the "stalemate" would last a while. Though he sees no "breakout" in both camps, per France 24.
"If they do mobilize and they do declare war, that will bring thousands more soldiers to the fight, and even though they may not be as well-trained and competent, they will still bring mass and a lot more ammunition," he said.
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