UK intelligence assesses quality of Russian military after 1,000 days of full-scale war in Ukraine

UK Defence Intelligence has assessed the change in the quality of Russia's Armed Forces since the beginning of the full-scale war in Ukraine.

Source: UK Defence Intelligence update dated 21 November on X (Twitter), as reported by European Pravda

Details: UK intelligence noted that before the full-scale invasion, Russia sought to create modern, professional armed forces capable of conducting complex operations.

UK Defence Intelligence added that after 1,000 days of war, Russia's Ground Forces are fundamentally different from those that initially invaded Ukraine.

The update emphasised that the losses among Russian personnel, which amounted to more than 700,000 killed and wounded, have sharply undermined the quality of the Russian Armed Forces.

UK intelligence highlighted that most soldiers currently serving in the Russian Armed Forces have received minimal training. Despite their high casualty rate, Russian commanders continue to rely on basic tactics to achieve success.

The update noted that Russia has lost at least 3,500 main battle tanks and 7,500 armoured vehicles.

"Large stockpiles of tanks and armoured vehicles, a legacy of the Soviet Union, have been the only means for Russia to be able to replenish these major losses," UK intelligence said.

The update explained that, despite significant losses among Russia's Ground Forces, the pace of Russia's territorial gains in Ukraine had increased by 2024.

"This has been underpinned by the Russian leadership's tolerance for casualties, and Russia's land forces quantitative overmatch relative to the Ukrainian Armed Forces," UK intelligence noted.

The update also noted that the war zone is now more unstable than at any point since the war began.

Background:

• Earlier, UK intelligence reported that Ukraine's successful actions against the Russian Black Sea Fleet had led to the destruction of around a quarter of Russian large vessels, including the flagship. This forced the fleet to retreat to the eastern part of the sea, yet it continued to play a role in supporting ground operations.
• A previous update explained that in October, Russia's average daily casualties at the front reached a record high. UK intelligence also pointed to the increasing pressure exerted by Russian forces on the city of Kupiansk in Kharkiv Oblast.

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