According to British intelligence, some of Russia’s most elite military units will be weakened for years due to the damage inflicted during its invasion of Ukraine.
The British Ministry of Defense tweeted early Monday morning that more than a quarter of Russia’s 120 battalion tactical groups engaged in the conflict had been “ineffective in the fight” and that the nation’s most elite forces had suffered the most. high level of exhaustion ‘. “The 120 battalion groups represented about 65 percent of the country’s ground force at the beginning of the invasion.
The news is the latest sign that Russia is struggling to maintain momentum during the invasion. Some experts initially thought that Russia could quickly take over Ukraine, but after two months of fighting, Ukraine continues to push back against Russian troops.
The ministry specifically named Russia’s Airborne Forces, VDV, which has suffered significant losses since the invasion began in late February. The ministry did not specify how his intelligence was obtained.
Some of Russia’s most elite military units will be weakened for years, the British Ministry of Defense said on Monday. Above, Russian military cadets are seen in St. Petersburg, Russia, on April 28. OLGA MALTSEVA / AFP via Getty Images
“It will probably take years for Russia to rebuild these forces,” the ministry said.
Ukraine’s defense ministry said on Monday that Russia had lost 23,800 troops. Ukraine also cited 1,048 tanks, 2,519 armored personnel carriers, 459 artillery systems, 194 aircraft and 84 cruise missiles among Russia’s losses. In late March, NATO estimated that Russia had lost between 7,000 and 15,000 troops.
Ukraine said up to 3,000 Ukrainian soldiers were killed in the war, CNN reported. However, this figure has not been independently verified.
On Monday, Ukraine’s Chief of General Staff Valery Zaluzhny said a Ukrainian drone had destroyed two Russian Raptor-class patrol ships near Snake Island in the Black Sea.
Ukraine’s defense ministry also said Monday that Russia is “stepping up” a campaign to recruit new military volunteers to replace the number of troops it has lost since the invasion. However, he noted that recruitment does not take place in Moscow, Russia’s largest city.
“Campaigns are being conducted to motivate the ‘volunteers’ to serve. In particular, traditional Russian tales of the “collective West” and “non-existent Ukraine” are repeated. read message.
Recently, there have been signs of a lack of morale among both the military and the Russian population.
A survey published last Thursday showed support for the conflict amid significant losses. The poll found that 74 percent of respondents said they supported the actions of the Russian military – up from 81 percent in a poll in March.
However, as Russian losses continue to rise, the threat of Russia’s use of nuclear weapons continues to rise, said Sen. Bob Menendez, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, during a speech on Fox Newsover over the weekend.
“Well, one of my worries is that, ironically, the more successful Ukrainians are, the greater the risk that Putin will do something because he loses and has to keep his face at home,” Menendez said.
Newsweek asked the Russian Foreign Ministry for comment.
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