Budanov said when Russia would like to end the war

Russia would like to end the war in Ukraine by the end of 2025 or early 2026. At the same time, the Kremlin plans to "win". The head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ukrainian Defence Ministry, Kirill Budanov, said that another scenario would mean big economic and political problems for the Kremlin, Interfax-Ukraine reported .

the year 2025 is a key year for them, the turn of the 25th - the beginning of the 26th. They want to end it all, because according to their own calculations, the Russian Federation, if they do not come out of this war as conditional winners, they lose all chances to be called a superpower within 30 years," Budanov explained.

The head of the GUR added that now the Russian Federation is trying to fight the worsening economic situation.

But this is far from the peak. They predict that around the summer of '25 the negative impact on the economy will start to be very tangible for their country," Budanov said.

He pointed out that the issue of under-recruitment in the army is becoming acute for the Kremlin.

In the summer of 2025, they will face a dilemma - either to declare mobilisation, or somehow it is necessary to slightly reduce the intensity of hostilities, which may be critical for them in the end," the head of Ukrainian military intelligence predicted.

At the same time, Budanov pointed out that many in Russia do not realise the gravity of the situation and are pushing the country towards collapse.

Russians are frankly happy that they have already managed to seize more than 30 per cent of Ukraine, and they are also satisfied with high salaries in the Russian army," Budanov said.

At the same time, the head of the GUR noted that the psychological state of Russians has been affected by Ukraine's efforts to transfer hostilities to Russian territory.

This has changed the world outlook of Russians. Before that, the entire Russian population lived in the paradigm that, no matter how it was, we are a very powerful country, we are the strongest in the world... And now, with the first explosions, let's say, in Moscow and on the territory of the Russian Federation and so on, this myth has been destroyed," Budanov explained.

He added that the situation continues to develop in such a way that there will be only two superpowers in the world - the United States and China.

Russians are clearly aware of this. This is a key period for them. Therefore, they will do everything possible to win in their understanding. Otherwise, they are out of all world processes. All they can count on is regional leadership, and this does not suit them," the head of the GSD said.