Putin wan capture most of Ukraine – US

Russian President Vladimir Putin still wan capture most of Ukraine, na so US intelligence agencies feel.

Moscow sojas don dey weak sake of di war, but, US officials say dem capable of making slow territorial gains.

Dis one mean say di war fit last for a long time, Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines tok.

In March Moscow refocus dia efforts on seizing Ukraine Donbas area afta dem fail to take Kyiv and oda cities.

Oga Putin plan neva change, im plan wen di war start and now still dey di same, US top intelligence officer Ms Haines tok - to take most of Ukraine.

But, she say, e dey unlikely for Russia to achieve dat goal any time soon.

"We dey see a disconnect between Putin military objectives for dis area and im military capacity, na mismatch between im ambition and wetin di military fit accomplish," she tell one US Commerce Department conference.

Since dem fail to achieve dia initial goal of capturing Kyiv, Russia don focus on seizing di territory for di eastern Donbas region - one large, industrial area where Oga Putin bin falsely claim say Ukraine bin carry out genocide against Russian speakers.

Russian forces don make progress for dia, recently dem take control of di city of Severodonetsk, but progress dey slow and Ukrainian forces dey fight hard to resist dem.

  Long-running war

Dis na her first public comments since May on US intelligence assessment of di war, Madam Haines suggest say Russia invasion go continue "for an extended period of time" and say "di picture dey very bad".

She say intelligence agencies see three scenarios of how di war fit play out, di most likely one na slow moving conflict wia Russia go make "small gains, wit no breakthrough".

Di oda one, wey dey less likely possible na major Russian breakthrough, or stabilisation of di frontlines wit Ukraine wey go achieve small gains.

E fit mean say Moscow go depend more on "asymmetric tools" to target dia enemies; dis fit include cyber attacks, efforts to control energy resources and even nuclear weapons.

Madam Haines comments dey come afta Nato leaders bin pledge to stand behind Ukraine for as long possible – and to boost dia troop presence across Europe and invite Finland and Sweden to join di group.