Estonian Intelligence rules out Ukrainian counteroffensive next week

The Ukrainian Armed Forces have been carrying on the first phase of their offensive, i.e. conducting reconnaissance to find weaknesses in the defensive positions of the Russian occupying forces.

Colonel Margo Grosberg, head of the Estonian Defence Forces Intelligence Centre, made the remarks, European Pravda reports, citing Estonian news agency ERR.

"The initiative is obviously in the hands of the armed forces of Ukraine, which means that they get to pick the time, place and means by which they will attack the enemy's units," he noted.

Russia, in turn, will seek to destroy Ukraine's offensive potential as much as possible, using artillery, minefields, and air strikes, Grosberg said.

The Estonian intelligence chief stressed that Russia had spent the last nine months building up its defences in the occupied territories, so Ukraine is in no hurry to launch a counteroffensive.

"For this reason and so as not to take any unnecessary risks, the Ukrainians are approaching their operation more methodically, more carefully and quietly, since both human and technical resources are essentially worth their weight in gold," he stated.

Grosberg noted that the lookout for vulnerabilities in the Russian lines and, perhaps, along the entire front line will continue next week.

"We won't see an offensive over the next seven days," Grosberg pointed out.

Czech President Petr Pavel said earlier that Ukraine had not yet launched a full-scale counteroffensive but that the first operations of the Defence Forces in several areas were a "moderate start".

As reported, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg believes that it is too early to draw conclusions about whether the Ukrainian counteroffensive will be a turning point in the war.