West expects Ukrainian army to use tricks against Russian forces – former Foreign Intelligence Service head Kondratiuk

He said this on Espreso TV. 

“Of course, expectations for a Ukrainian counteroffensive in the West are very high. Our allies understand and say that Ukraine provides little information about preparations for the Ukrainian counteroffensive. But what they are learning is that Ukraine can surprise them once again. Because the Ukrainian army is now armed with European tanks and American armored personnel carriers. There are also new units that have been trained and equipped by NATO forces. We are talking about 12 brigades that have been specially formed, equipped and prepared for tactical operations,” Kondratiuk emphasized.

According to the former head of Ukraine's Foreign Intelligence Service, Western partners expect and rely on the Ukrainian army to once again use deception and trickery to throw the Russians off balance.

“According to our partners, Ukraine's best chances in the counteroffensive depend on the success of Ukrainian intelligence, as well as the intelligence services of the United States and NATO. If the Americans and allies can identify weaknesses in Russian defense, and Ukraine can exploit them with the speed and protection of Bradley tanks and infantry fighting vehicles, it will be a breakthrough and success,” Kondratiuk emphasized.

• Colonel Roman Kostenko, MP, Secretary of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on National Security, Defense and Intelligence, noted that the Russian forces are concentrating their largest forces in the Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia direction. 

• The founder of the Wagner PMC, Yevgeny Prigozhin, said that the Ukrainian Armed Forces' counteroffensive will begin after May 2, when the rains end.