Russia is preparing to "prolong war" warns Ukrainian military

Russia is digging in for a long war in Ukraine and still wants to conquer the entire country, a senior Ukrainian military official warned on Thursday (December 15).

Brigadier General Oleksiy Gromov told a military briefing that although he did not expect Moscow to launch an attack from Belarus, Russia was training new troops on its neighbour's soil.

Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Malyar, at the same briefing, warned against allowing complacency to set in after recent Russian military setbacks.

"The Kremlin ... is seeking to turn the conflict into a prolonged armed confrontation," Gromov said.