Russian troops being given orders to advance in most sectors, but they lack combat power - British intelligence

Russian forces are being given orders to advance in most sectors, but they have not massed sufficient offensive combat power on any one axis to achieve a decisive effect.

The UK Ministry of Defence said this in its latest defence intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine, Ukrinform reports.

It is noted that in the last three days, Wagner Group forces have almost certainly made further small gains around the northern outskirts of the contested Donbas town of Bakhmut, including into the village of Krasna Hora.

“However, organised Ukrainian defence continues in the area. The tactical Russian advance to the south of the town has likely made little progress,” the report says.

According to the UK Ministry of Defence, in the north, in Kremina-Svatove sector of Luhansk Oblast, Russian forces are making continuous offensive efforts, though each local attack remains on too small a scale to achieve a significant breakthrough.

“Russia likely aims to reverse some of the gains Ukrainian forces made over September-November 2022: there is a realistic possibility that their immediate goal is to advance west to the Zherberets River. Overall, the current operational picture suggests that Russian forces are being given orders to advance in most sectors, but that they have not massed sufficient offensive combat power on any one axis to achieve a decisive effect,” the report says.

The UK Ministry of Defence in its previous intelligence update said that the breakthrough of Ukraine’s Armed Forces in Zaporizhzhia and Luhansk would seriously challenge the viability of Russia’s ‘land bridge’ with Crimea and further undermine Russia’s professed war aim of ‘liberating’ Donbas.

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