# Putin has two years left to fight, says Ukraine’s top spy chief

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/putin-has-two-years-left-to-fight-says-ukraines-top-spy-chief/
- Published: 2026-09-11T00:51:54+00:00
- Updated: 2026-09-11T01:09:27+00:00
- Original publisher: Daily Mail (publisher lean: Right)
- Original article: https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-16122263/Putin-two-years-left-fight-says-Ukraines-spy-chief.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490
- Topics: Business, Economy, Europe, World

## Key points

- Ukraine's spy chief says Russia can sustain war until roughly 2028
- Russia reportedly losing over 1,400 soldiers daily, straining recruitment
- Comments followed deadly Russian drone strike on Pavlohrad shopping mall

## Summary

Ukraine's foreign intelligence chief, Lieutenant General Oleh Ivashchenko, has said Russia has at most two years of capacity left to continue fighting, with heavy troop losses, low morale and economic strain likely to erode Vladimir Putin's ability to sustain the war by 2028. The assessment matters because it offers a rare official Ukrainian projection of when Moscow's war effort might become unsustainable, though it also underlines that significant further bloodshed is expected before then.

Ivashchenko told The Times that Russia recruits around 1,000-1,200 soldiers daily but is suffering casualties of over 1,400 a day, roughly 60% of them fatal, a pace Ukraine estimates could add another 765,800 casualties over 18 months. He also pointed to economic pressures, including labour shortages, a growing budget deficit and banking sector problems, compounded by Ukrainian drone strikes that have reportedly disabled around 40% of Russia's oil-refining capacity. The comments came as Russian drone strikes on shopping centres in Ukrainian cities, including one in Pavlohrad that killed five and wounded 67, drew condemnation from President Volodymyr Zelensky.

---
Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.