 Britain's defense chief, Ukraine could successfully retake Crimea. There is a real possibility Ukraine could successfully retake Crimea, Britain's defense secretary Ben Wallace said in an interview with the Washington Post. He voiced a more optimistic view about Ukraine's current battlefield effort than that described by U.S. intelligence officials who in leaked intelligence documents earlier this year said that personnel and equipment challenges probably would result in Kiev notching only modest gains once it begins a highly anticipated offensive to retake Russian-held territory. While U.S. officials say there have been improvements since then, they have also suggested that even the recapture of small areas could affect Russia's war plans. Wallace said the scale of Russian losses suggests Putin still believes he can prevail if he pours more troops into the war. He suggested Putin may not be getting accurate information about the military effort and might not realize the extent of his country's military challenges until a moment of collapse or internal challenge. If that happens, he said NATO and the West have to be ready for whatever happens.