London: Russian forces tied up in Bachmut after Wagner withdrawal
According to British military experts, the Russian armed forces in Ukraine have lost some of their flexibility as a result of the withdrawal of the Wagner mercenary unit from Bakhmut. Units of the VDV airborne troops, once known as elite troops, are now deployed at the front in Bakhmut, according to the British Defense Ministry’s intelligence report on the war in Ukraine on Saturday.
“The VDV have lost much of their ‘elite’ status since the invasion,” the British said. Russian commanders would have tried to keep some of these troops in reserve. Due to their deployment at the front in Bakhmut, however, the entire Russian armed forces are now less able to react flexibly to challenges.
Months of fierce and costly fighting had been fought over the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut. In the fight for the completely destroyed city, which once had 70,000 inhabitants, fierce power struggles within the Russian military leadership have also come to light in recent weeks.
The Ministry of Defense in London has been publishing daily information on the course of the war since the beginning of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, citing intelligence information. Moscow accuses London of a disinformation campaign.