Kyrylo Budanov (Photo: Valentyna Polishchuk/LIGA.net)

A "pretty difficult" situation awaits Ukraine in the near future, said the head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense, Kyrylo Budanov, commenting on the course of the war in an interview with the BBC.

"But it is not catastrophic, this must also be understood. Armageddon will not happen, as many are now starting to say. But there will be problems from mid-May," Budanov stated.

The situation, in particular, concerns the front, as well as the domestic political situation.

"This is a complex approach, because the Russians will use a complex approach. They are conducting a complex operation. We will not talk about it with you for a long time, but it will be a difficult period," the spymaster said.

According to Budanov, the difficult period will be in mid-May and early June.

On April 13, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrskyi stated that the situation on the eastern front has significantly worsened – this is primarily due to the significant intensification of offensive actions by the invasion forces after the "presidential elections" in Russia.

On April 21, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Ukraine needs long-range weapons and air defense systems from American allies to stabilize the situation and seize the initiative on the battlefield.