Russia can continue Ukraine war another year despite sanctions - report

Moscow will be able to continue fighting its war against Ukraine for at least one more year, according to US intelligence sources cited by the Washington Post's report of a leaked US military document that was previously unreported.

The newly discovered, top-secret documents give a greater understanding of the effects of the numerous sanctions imposed on Russia by the US, the EU and allied countries like Japan.

Russia can continue to fight

But despite the measurable effect the sanctions have had on Russia's economy, they still did not cripple its ability to continue its war effort in Ukraine.

According to US intelligence, to offset the sanctions “Moscow is relying on increased corporate taxes, its sovereign wealth fund, increased imports and businesses adaptability to help mitigate economic pressures.”

Recently, the US ramped up the pressure, especially on Russian elites who have supported the war and their companies.

The Ukrainian Defense Ministry is claiming that some elements of the Russian political and business segments have become afraid for their future after a possible Russian defeat and are seeking to contact Ukraine and other countries.

Still, they “are likely to persist in upholding the Kremlin’s objectives in Ukraine” and in “helping Moscow circumvent sanctions,” according to the intelligence assessments in the leaked documents.

The documents don't refer to other limiting factors for Russia's war effort, like a possible lack of ammunition. Recent reports indicate that Russia is searching far and wide for new suppliers.

Russia is clearly scrambling to resupply its forces a year into the war in Ukraine. It has acquired drones from Iran and apparently also acquired artillery shells and small arms ammunition. It also reportedly tried to purchase tens of thousands of shells from Egypt, although this demand didn't result in any delivery of munitions. Last year the New York Times reported that Moscow also was seeking millions of rounds of artillery shells from North Korea.  

The documents are part of a trove of classified documents that was leaked online. Jack Teixeira, a 21-year-old member of the US Air National Guard accused of leaking the top secret military intelligence records was charged on April 14 with unlawfully copying and transmitting classified material.

Seth J. Frantzman and Reuters contributed to this story.