British intelligence: russian elite units failed operation in Ukraine

russia failed to properly use its airborne troops in Ukraine, resulting in significant losses

Rubryka reports, citing a British Ministry of Defense review on Twitter.

British intelligence notes that the russian airborne forces have been involved in several tactical failures since the beginning of russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Intelligence reports say these include an attempt to attack Kyiv via Hostomel airfield in March.

Also another failure was the offensive, which has stalled in the Izium direction since April.

British intelligence names the recent failed and costly crossing of the Siverskyi Donets River.

russia use airborne forces to perform some of the most complex operations.

The air force of 45,000 people consists primarily of professional contractors. Its members enjoy elite status and receive additional pay.

However, in Ukraine, russia has used paratroopers in missions that are better suited for heavier armored infantry.

That is why these units suffered heavy losses during the campaign.

British intelligence has noted that the paratroopers' ambiguous results are likely to reflect strategic mismanagement of this capability and russia's inability to gain an advantage in the air.

"The misemployment of the VDV [airborne forces] in Ukraine highlights how Putin's significant investment in the armed forces over the past 15 years has resulted in an unbalanced overall force.

The failure to anticipate Ukrainian resistance and the subsequent complacency of Russian commanders has led to significant losses across many of Russia's more elite units," the British intelligence review said.

As reported by Rubryka, according to British intelligence data,  in the first three months of the war in Ukraine, russia's death toll was probably the same as that of the Soviet Union during its nine-year war in Afghanistan.

As Rubryka previously reported, a preliminary review showed that russia had problems because it lacked drones due to losing aircraft on the battlefield and Western sanctions.