U.S., U.K.spy chiefs laud Kyiv offensive

CIA director says Gaza ceasefire close, but hurdles remain

- JILL LAWLESS

The heads of the British and American foreign intelligence agencies said Saturday that Ukraine’s surprise incursion into Russia is a significant achievement that could change the narrative of the grinding 2 1/2-year war, as they urged Kyiv’s allies not to be held back by Russian threats of escalation.

Richard Moore, the head of MI6, said Kyiv’s surprise August offensive to seize territory in Russia’s Kursk region was “typically audacious and bold on the part of the Ukrainians, to try and change the game.”

Moore said the hard-fought offensive — which Ukraine said has captured about 1,300 square kilometres of Russian territory — had “brought the war home to ordinary Russians.”

Speaking alongside Moore at an unprecedented joint public event in London, CIA Director William Burns said the offensive was a “significant tactical achievement” that had exposed vulnerabilities in the Russian military.