aid and intensifying Russian attacks, Kyiv has entered what some have called the most difficult phase of the full-scale war since early 2022."A difficult situation awaits us in the near future. But it will not be catastrophic, let's be clear," Budanov told the BBC on April 19, days before the U.S. House of Representatives approved additional aid for Ukraine."There will be no Armageddon, as many are saying... We will not talk about it at length now, but there will be a difficult period. Mid-May, early June."President Volodymyr Zelensky has said that Russia may launch a major offensive either at the end of May or in June.Speaking on the topic of how Russian forces changed since the start of the full-scale war, Budanov acknowledged that Moscow's infantry has better equipment now than before.