The conflict in Ukraine has not had much of a detrimental effect on the Russian military, US European Command Cmdr. Christopher Cavoli said Wednesday.
He said it has led to Russia stepping up surveillance operations in the Atlantic Ocean.
"Much of the Russian military has not been affected negatively by this conflict. One of those forces is their undersea forces," Cavoli said during a House of Representatives Armed Services Committee hearing alongside with Celeste Wallander, the assistant defense chief for international security affairs.
Cavoli noted that "the Russians are more active than we've seen them in years and their patrols into the Atlantic and throughout the Atlantic."
He said that while the Russian army suffered heavy losses, it is bigger than before the war in terms of numbers. "The air force has lost very little, they've lost 80 planes," he said.
When asked if Ukrainians will get all the weapons they need for a much-anticipated counter-offensive in time, Cavoli said US military officials met Ukrainians and together they determined the quantity of materials required for the offensive.
"We checked it a couple of times and we gathered it from our allies, who were very generous, especially with regard to tanks and armored fighting vehicles. And we have been shipping it into the country.
"Over 98% of the combat vehicles are already there. I am very confident that we have delivered the material that they need," he added.
