 Russia will launch an offensive at end of May, repelling it will be catastrophically difficult. The head of Ukraine's intelligence service, Kirill Budanov, said that Russia will launch an offensive at the end of May to the beginning of June. He said this in an interview with German channel Das Erste. According to him, the Ukrainian armed forces are preparing to repell it, but it will be catastrophically difficult without Western help. Russian troops will launch an offensive in late May or early June. I think that by this time, we will be well prepared, and we will see how it goes. Without the help of our Western allies, it will be catastrophically difficult for us. And that provided that, firstly, it comes in sufficient quantity, and secondly, it goes further. Budanov said, the head of the Defense Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine stressed that weapons are needed to defeat the command posts of the Russians. As Ukrainian news agency earlier reported on April 7, the head of the main Defense Intelligence, Kirill Budanov, said that Taurus missiles would significantly strengthen the capabilities of the security and defense forces of Ukraine. In addition, following a regular meeting of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief's staff, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky said that Budanov and the head of the Foreign Intelligence Service Ole Ivashchenko had informed him of the Russians' plans to intensify the offensive. Two important intelligence reports by the head of the Foreign Intelligence Service Ivashchenko and Budanov on Russian actions in the spring and summer. We have to be prepared for all formats of possible hostile actions. It is obvious that the madness in the Kremlin is still strong. The occupier will try to intensify assault and offensive actions, Zelensky said. Russia is building drone bases near northern Sea Route against U.S. The northern Sea Route and the coast of Kamchatka will be covered with strike and reconnaissance forces' drones' long flight duration. The corresponding decision has already been made, a source in the Ministry of Defense of Russia reports. The military department has decided to cover the northern Sea Route with drones of the Pesa and Forepost family capable of staying in the air for a long time, conducting reconnaissance and also, if necessary, attacking. The main task drones will consist of monitoring sea and air space in the northern Sea Route area, searching for possible violators and participating in search and rescue operations. To deploy drones, a network of base sites with all the necessary infrastructure will be created both on the Kamchatka Peninsula and along the northern Sea Route. It is not yet known at what stage the project is at. Continuous monitoring is advisable in these areas. We must have all the information on the presence of foreign ships and warships in our economic zone in the Arctic and especially those passing along the northern Sea Route without our permission and notification. The same applies to Kamchatka, Anadir and adjacent seas lead news media outlet Words of the former commander of the Pacific Fleet Admiral Sergei Avakians. The deployment of the system of Russian bases for reconnaissance and strike, unmanned aerial vehicles Pesa and Forepost in Kamchatka and along the northern Sea Route is the response to actions of the US and their allies in the Arctic, Program Director of the Academy of Political Sciences Alexander Stepanov told TASS. The decision of the Russian Defense Ministry to deploy a network of bases for reconnaissance and strike UAVs, including the integration of Pesa and Forepost family drones, will make it possible to reach parity with the enemy and offsets threats projected by the Pentagon to Russian military and civilian infrastructure in the Arctic. The expert said, the US and their NATO allies are proactively filling the region with the military infrastructure focusing on F-35 fighter jets and various types of marine and air autonomous systems Stepanov added. European countries reject calls from Ukraine to strengthen air defense financial times. European capitals have rejected demands from Kyiv to send its air defense systems to Ukraine after a week of relentless missile and drone bombing by Russia that destroyed critical energy plants in the war-torn country. As the Financial Times notes, Ukraine has long warned that it needs urgent supplies of air defense systems to protect itself from the overwhelming number of Russian missiles aimed at the country's energy and heating infrastructure. President Volodymyr Zelensky stepped up calls for the transfer of American-made Patriot batteries, criticising Kyiv's Western partners for turning a blind eye as the Capital Region witnessed the destruction of its largest power plant. Kyiv is lobbying to send Patriot systems to Ukraine from Poland, Romania and Spain. Two sources, familiar with the negotiations, told the Financial Times. They only need seven, but it's difficult, one person said. European capitals have said they have no plans to send more systems to Ukraine, arguing they need to preserve defense capabilities. Germany gave Ukraine two Patriot systems, but made clear that it would not provide more. We will not be able to offer any more systems at this time. The Defense Department said, this position outraged some representatives of the opposition Christian Democratic Union, Norbert Rutgen, a Christian Democratic Union lawmaker and member of the Bundestag's Foreign Affairs Committee, said Berlin could provide Ukraine with two more Patriot systems, especially since those lent to Poland and Slovakia have now been returned. Ukraine's demands have focused attention on strategic minimum levels of defense capability, and whether European NATO states will decide to go below their self-imposed minimum level needed to defend their states in order to send equipment to Ukraine. I would say that any decision to reduce strategic stockpiles is largely in the hands of our defense forces and our armed forces and should always remain confidential. Finnish President Alexander Stob said this week when asked whether he believed that other countries could send more weapons to Ukraine. The Polish military insists it cannot supply Patriot to Ukraine, while it itself awaits supplies from the United States after Washington approved a $15 billion Polish order for Patriot and related equipment last June.