The US assesses that Ukraine has knocked down more than a hundred “high-value” Russian targets

British spy chief Richard Moore has said that Russia is “going to run out of strength” in Ukraine, in an interview with CNN’s Jim Sciutto.

“The Russians will find it increasingly difficult to supply human and material resources in the next few weeks. They will have to pause, and that will give the Ukrainians an opportunity to strike again,” said Moore, head of MI6, in the interview, out of the UK for the first time.

“(Putin) suffered a strategic defeat in Ukraine, and forces lost 15,000 lives,” Moore said on the sidelines of the Aspen Security Forum.

However, Moore said that it was very important for Ukrainian morale to show their ability to strike back.

“It will be an important reminder to the rest of Europe that this is a winnable operation by the Ukrainians. Because we are about to enter a rather difficult winter.”

“Winter is coming and obviously, in that atmosphere with the pressure on the gas supply and all the rest, we’re going through a tough time,” Moore added.

He said that after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, European countries made concerted efforts against Russian intelligence.

“North of 400 Russian intelligence officers working under diplomatic cover have been expelled,” and that has halved Russia’s spying capabilities in Europe.

When asked about rumors about Putin’s ill health, Moore said: “There is no evidence that Putin is seriously ill.”

His comments came after the expulsion of more than 400 Russian intelligence officers from cities across Europe and the arrest of several undercover spies posing as civilians.

Moore told CNN that since Russia invaded Ukraine in February, European countries have expelled “northern 400 Russian intelligence officers operating under diplomatic cover” across the bloc.

“And we think, in the UK, that could have halved their business ability to spy on Russia in Europe,” says Moore. He added that a number of “illegals”, or Russian spies operating under deep cover and posing as civilians, have also been exposed and arrested in recent months.

When asked if the war in Ukraine would make Russia a “target rich environment” for Britain and its allies to recruit potential assets, Moore said only “our hope” that the Russians in intelligence and diplomacy will “reflect on what they are witnessing in Ukraine” and decide to “attack the system” as many did during the Prague Spring of 1968.

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