He shared his opinions on Espreso TV’s Verdict with Serhiy Rudenko program.
"Russians will try to expand the Belarusian front, but these are still theoretical intentions of the Putin regime and Putin personally. He has no resources now, he is trying to realize his plans in various ways. Putin has brought back Gerasimov, who will draw the map. Now resources are important. This year, Russia's resources have been in the negative," Samus emphasized.
According to the military expert, Russia has about 6 months left to implement any plans, because the Russian economy will suffer a drastic fall due to restrictions on the oil and gas sector.
"Ukraine, on the contrary, is receiving weapons and is ready for offensive operations. In the next 2 months, the enemy will try to break through the defense of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in Donbas and try to fully occupy Donetsk and Luhansk regions, gradually persuading our partners and Ukraine to negotiate. Russians will not have enough resources for more actions, but Ukraine has its own intentions," Samus added.
During 2023, Russia will try to break through the front line and encircle Ukrainian defenders, and will not give up efforts to capture the Ukrainian capital.
Russian troops may try to cross the border with Ukraine in the Kupiansk direction, Kharkiv region. The Defense Intelligence of Ukraine also predicts an escalation in the Donbas sector in February to March time frame.