Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky listened on March 10 to a report from the head of the Main Intelligence Directorate, Oleg Ivashchenko, regarding the situation in the Middle East and potential threats from Russia in the context of the escalation surrounding Iran.
This is reported by Kyiv24
Russia’s Plans to Exploit the Middle Eastern Crisis
Zelensky emphasized that Ukrainian intelligence is closely analyzing information about the intentions of the Russian leadership to take advantage of the tensions surrounding Iran and the protraction of the American military operation. According to him, Russia hopes that a prolonged war in the Middle East and the Gulf region will allow it to reduce international pressure due to the war against Ukraine, achieve the lifting of sanctions, and gain additional financial resources through fluctuations in energy prices.
“We are thoroughly analyzing the available data regarding the intentions of the Russian leadership to exploit the situation surrounding Iran and the possible prolongation of the American military operation,” he stated.
Russia’s Losses and New Tasks for Intelligence
The President highlighted that, according to documents obtained by Ukrainian intelligence, the Russian Federation assesses its own battlefield losses as follows: of the total number of losses, 62% are fatalities, while 38% are wounded. Officially, Russia does not disclose this data, but closed reports indicate that the number of irrecoverable losses amounts to at least 1 million 315 thousand killed and severely wounded. Zelensky also noted that these figures are likely underestimated.
Moreover, the president reported that he has instructed intelligence to intensify efforts regarding Russian military production to further limit the potential for aggression from the Russian Federation. The Ukrainian side is already determining countermeasures and will inform partners about further steps.
At the same time, against the backdrop of rising tensions in the Middle East, there has been a significant increase in energy prices. Since February 28, the United States and Israel have been striking Iran, and in response, Iran has attacked Gulf countries with missiles and drones. This has led to a rise in oil prices: on March 9, the price of Brent crude surpassed $100 per barrel for the first time since 2022. Some major producers have cut supplies, and the market is engulfed by fears of prolonged disruptions in shipping due to the military conflict.