British military intelligence says Russia has lost a third of the ground forces deployed in its invasion of Ukraine. In addition, the Kremlin is losing momentum in the battle for eastern Ukraine, the British said.
The Kremlin generally does not comment on the losses incurred. Moscow admitted once that “heavy losses” had been suffered since the start of the war, but that statement dates back to early April.
Russia is believed to have sent some 150,000 troops to Ukraine. The British do not report precise figures on the losses on the Russian side.
In recent days, reports have come out several times about heavy losses by Russia. An entire Russian armored column with dozens of tanks is said to have been destroyed when a bridge was blown up and the Russians pushed back to the border around the megacity of Kharkiv.
Russian invasion is far behind schedule
Russia’s military operation is again far behind schedule, according to the British. For example, no substantial ground gains were made in the past month and the offensive is running into numerous problems. In addition, the morale of the Russian military is low and Ukraine is increasingly armed against air strikes.
Russia will also make few steps in the coming month, the British assure. Defense expert Ko Colijn also saw earlier that the Russians are having trouble “liberating” the Donets basin. There are 40,000 seasoned and well-trained soldiers active in that area, who have been fighting pro-Russian separatists since 2014.