Lithuania’s military intelligence chief said Russia has enough resources to continue the war in Ukraine for another two years if the fighting continues with the same intensity as today.
“The resources that Russia now has are sufficient to continue the war with such intensity as it is today for another two years,” Lithuanian intelligence chief Elegius Paulavičius told reporters. “How long Russia can fight the war will also depend on Russian military support from states such as Iran and North Korea.”
Paulavičius presented a report on threats against the country prepared by the Lithuanian intelligence services, which also alleges that hackers with ties to the Russian and Chinese governments have repeatedly tried to break into Lithuanian government computers in 2022.
“Their priority remains the continuous long-term collection of information related to Lithuania’s internal and external affairs,” the country’s intelligence agencies said.
The report does not say whether the hacking attempts were successful.
Recall that Vilnius caused official displeasure in Beijing after allowing Taiwan to open a de facto embassy in Lithuania in 2021.
Lithuanian intelligence agencies said the sanctions did not reduce Russia’s ability to fund its armed forces, as they redirected state resources intended to maintain the welfare of the population.
Russia is using ‘long chains of middlemen’ to buy Western technology on sanctions lists, while its military adjusts to a long-term confrontation with the West and intends to prioritize efforts to restore its military presence in the Baltic Sea region, where they remain “a threat and a source of instability”.
“Much will depend on the duration and outcome of the war in Ukraine – the longer and more expensive the war, the longer it will take,” the report said.
