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The Russian military’s top brass has become “increasingly dysfunctional,” British intelligence said.
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“There is almost certainly a worsening shortage of capable Russian junior officers to organize” drafted reservists, UK intel said.
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The UK’s Ministry of Defense added, “Poor lower-level leadership is likely worsening the low morale.”
The Russian military’s top brass has only become “increasingly dysfunctional” as Vladimir Putin’s nearly eight-month war with Ukraine drags on, British intelligence said on Wednesday.
The UK’s Ministry of Defense said in a daily intelligence update that Russia is running out of “capable … junior officers to organize and lead newly mobilized reservists.”
Last month, Putin announced plans to partially mobilize hundreds of thousands of reservists to beef up the Kremlin’s forces in his invasion of Ukraine.
Putin made the announcement as Russia suffered major defeats on the battlefield in Ukraine, a war that has already taken a heavy toll on Russian forces.
According to British intelligence, four of the five generals “with direct operational command of elements of the invasion” at the start of the war in February have now been dismissed.
“Their replacements have so far done little to improve Russia’s battlefield performance,” the UK’s Ministry of Defense said.
The UK intelligence group explained that the “lack of command continuity” will be even more disruptive to Russia compared to a Western military because Russia’s commanders personally plan troop movements instead of coordinating across the staff.
Additionally, according to UK intel, eyewitness testimony suggests that the fatal shooting of eleven soldiers at a Russian military training center “occurred after an officer’s abusive comments towards ethnic minority recruits.”
“Poor lower-level leadership is likely worsening the low morale and poor unit cohesion in many parts of the Russian force,” said the UK’s Ministry of Defense.
Meanwhile, Russia has ramped up its attacks across Ukraine in recent days, striking cities including the capital of Kyiv.
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