There is a real possibility Ukraine could successfully retake Crimea, Britain’s Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said in an interview this week, Report informs, citing the Washington Post.

He voiced a more optimistic view about Ukraine’s current battlefield effort than that described by US intelligence officials, who in leaked intelligence documents earlier this year said that personnel and equipment challenges probably would result in Kyiv notching only modest gains once it begins a highly anticipated offensive to retake Russian-held territory. While US 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.