UK: "Russia May Have Lost One-Third of Its Ground Forces"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Seongpil Cho] The British military intelligence agency has analyzed that Russian ground forces mobilized for the invasion of Ukraine may have lost about one-third of their strength.

On the 15th (local time), the UK Ministry of Defence stated in a daily report from its subordinate intelligence agency, the Defence Intelligence (DI), posted on its Twitter account, "Currently, the Russian military may have lost one-third of the ground combat forces deployed in February." It also assessed that the Russian offensive in the eastern Donbas region of Ukraine "has lost momentum and is significantly behind schedule," adding, "Despite initial small-scale advances, Russia has continuously suffered high levels of attrition over the past month and has failed to achieve substantial territorial gains." The UK Ministry of Defence said, "This delay is almost certain to worsen due to the loss of critical support such as bridge-building equipment and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance drones (UAVs)."

Throughout the war, the Russian military has faced delays and constraints due to a shortage of bridge-building equipment. UAVs used for tactical operations and artillery targeting are vulnerable to Ukrainian anti-aircraft weapons. The UK Ministry of Defence predicted that the Russian military will face increasing pressure due to these issues, low morale, and reduced combat effectiveness, stating, "Under the current circumstances, it is unlikely that Russia will dramatically increase its advance speed even after another 30 days."

After launching a sudden invasion of Ukraine on February 24 and attempting to capture the capital Kyiv, the Russian forces were repelled by strong resistance from the Ukrainian military and civilians. The Russian military regrouped in the eastern Donbas region to attempt a comeback but was reportedly pushed back by Ukrainian forces in Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, as well.