THE Ukraine war may reach a “breaking point” by August and end in a Russian defeat by the end of the year, said Kyiv’s head of military intelligence today.

Major General Kyrylo Budanov, 36, told UK’s Sky News that he is “optimistic” about the current trajectory of the conflict.

“The breaking point will be in the second part of August.

“Most of the active combat actions will have finished by the end of this year.

“As a result, we will renew Ukrainian power in all the territories that we have lost, including the Crimea and Donbas.”

Intense fighting is raging in eastern Ukraine’s Donbas region, where Russia has been concentrating its forces without making significant progress.

Budanov said Ukraine knows “everything about our enemy. We know about their plans almost as they are being made”.

The intelligence chief also made unverified claims that a coup is under way in Moscow to depose President Vladimir Putin, and that the Russian leader is “very sick” with cancer. – AFP, May 14, 2022.