The British Ministry of Defence (MoD) has said that Russian commanders are “throwing” in “undermanned, inexperienced” troops who will reach “unrealistic” objectives as political pressure intensifies in Moscow.
The British Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said that Vladimir Putin is literally throwing tens of thousands of his troops in to what he describes as “the meatgrinder” whilst the Ukrainian forces have their machine guns aimed at them and killing at least “500 every day.”
The scenes on the battle scared frontline look very much like a World War Two movie with thousands of corpses left to rot in the slurry of mud and sub-zero conditions.
Russian intelligence are warning that they do not believe Moscow has enough ammunition for their Spring offensive and troops have now stopped “round-the-clock shelling” to save on rockets and munitions.
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Every week Russian forces are only able to move forward by “several hundred metres” as they have their eyes set on capturing Donetsk Oblast, and “more and more” reserves are being slowly moved to the frontline.
The troops are building up in eastern Ukraine regions such as the Donetsk and Luhansk and in Bakhmut and Vuhledar where fierce fighting continues.
Ukrainian intelligence has warned that Putin is pouring in vast amounts of equipment with around half a million soldiers towards the frontline where they will meet a certain death.
Serhiy Haidai, the Governor of Luhansk said, “We are seeing more and more [Russian] reserves being deployed in our direction, we are seeing more equipment being brought in,” said Serhiy Haidai, the Ukrainian governor of Luhansk.
“They bring ammunition that is used differently than before – it is not round-the-clock shelling anymore. They are slowly starting to save, getting ready for a full-scale offensive,” Haidai told Ukrainian television.
“It will most likely take them 10 days to gather reserves. After Feb. 15 we can expect [the offensive] at any time.”
Major Nick Bridges, deputy commander of the UK forces on the 1,500-man, 500-vehicle exercise in Estonia warned that Ukrainian forces face “Their biggest challenge” which “will be communications” between the Leopard and Challenger tanks.”
Major Bridges said the British Challenger 2 tanks have heavier armour, but the German built Leopard 2 main battle tanks are faster and lighter.
Major Bridges added, “Both can do gunfights at night and they’ve got hunter-killer capabilities as well. So, they can engage a target while looking for the next target.”
He dismissed the “demise of the tank,” and warned that the Ukrainians could use them to devastating effect against Russian forces.
Major Bridges said, “They are not there to take on other tanks, but to destroy other vehicles.
And added that they “make short work of an infantry company or vehicle convoy.”
Putin’s war cabinet are “rushing to launch the decisive offensive” due to the arrival of Western main battle tanks which will punch their way through Russian lines in the muddy season.
The Institute for the Study of War cited Igor Girkin, Russian military blogger who is a former Army officer, that Russia are in fact not prepared for Putin’s “rushed” Spring offensive.
Girkin said on Telegram that Putin’s new offensive could “turn out to be even worse” for a victory because Ukrainian forces are better trained, they have been provided with top spec kit and have for more sophisticated weaponry and intelligence.
The ISW have “highlighted that the Russian military command appears to be in a rush to launch the decisive offensive,” because they were wanting to undertake the offensive “ahead of the arrival of Western military aid and the muddy spring season in Ukraine around April that hindered Russian mechanized manoeuvres in spring 2022.”
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