“The Russians can conquer the Baltic States in 7 days. NATO’s reaction time is 10 days”. Warning from the top of Ukrainian espionage

A senior Ukrainian intelligence official has warned of the threat Moscow poses to other nations in Europe, saying “the Russians could conquer the Baltics in seven days” if allies don’t deal with Russia now, Newsweek reports.

The comment was made by Major General Vadym Skibitsky, the deputy of the Intelligence Service of the Ukrainian army, in an interview with The Economist, published on Thursday.

It sounded the alarm about the potential danger – talked about by politicians and military experts – of Russian President Vladimir Putin sparking conflict in the Baltic states. Earlier this year, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) wrote that the Russian leader is trying to weaken NATO with rhetoric about the Baltic countries – Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.

All three Baltic countries are members of NATO and the European Union. Article 5 of the NATO treaty states that “an armed attack against one or more” of its member nations “shall be considered an attack against all”.

According to Skibitsky, countries bordering Ukraine need to increase their defense production to help Kiev more, as Putin may try to invade other countries. In the interview, Skibitsky warned: “The Russians can conquer the Baltic States in seven days. NATO’s reaction time is ten days”.

He also said that Ukraine must at some point negotiate with Russia to end the war started by Putin in February 2022. His suggestion appears to be in contrast to the public position of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Skibitsky also spoke about the situation in Chasiv Yar, a strategic stronghold for Ukraine in the Donetsk region. Earlier this week, ISW reported that Putin’s army had stepped up its offensive to take the city. “Russian forces are somewhat slowing the pace of attacks around Avdiivka while engaging in offensive attacks around Chasiv Yar,” ISW wrote on Tuesday.

According to Skibitsky, the Russians could gain control of Chasiv Yar “not today or tomorrow, but it all depends on our reserves and supplies.”

In his opinion, Russia will turn its attention to the northeastern regions of Kharkiv and Sumy. Skibitsky added that Moscow’s forces are moving towards a stronger offensive towards the end of this month or “early June”, depending on Ukraine’s defenses in Donbas.

Publisher: GM