MOSCOW, April 22. /TASS/. A difficult period awaits Ukraine on the frontline and in the domestic political situation starting from mid-May, the head of the Defense Ministry’s Main Intelligence Directorate (GUR), Kirill Budanov, (listed in Russia as a terrorist and extremist) has said.

"The way we see it, a rather difficult situation awaits us in the near future," he said in an interview with the BBC's Ukrainian service. "There will be problems starting from the middle of May."

Budanov said he was referring to the situation both on the battlefield and in domestic politics.

"This is going to be a difficult period from the middle of May and at the beginning of June," he added.

He acknowledged that the Ukrainian army had long experienced problems on the frontline.

"Yes, there are problems on the frontline, but we should also be frank: these problems did not appear today, or a month ago, or even three months ago. This is a systemic problem that we are facing," he said.

Ukraine is actively discussing the issue of the legitimacy of the authorities in the absence of parliamentary and presidential elections, which cannot be held during martial law. Under the Constitution, President Vladimir Zelensky’s five-year term of office expires on May 21.