British intelligence: russian air force struggles to support the invasion of Ukraine and uses Wagner mercenaries

British Intelligence believes that russia is using Wagner mercenary pilots because it lacks adequately trained personnel and combat losses.

It is stated in the intelligence review of the British Ministry of Defense on June 24.

Intelligence noted that the Ukrainian Armed Forces captured the pilot of the downed russian Su-25 attack aircraft on June 17, who turned out to be a mercenary of the Wagner group.

Intelligence believes that the use of retired personnel, who are currently working under contract with the Wagner group, indicates that the russian air force is probably trying hard to support the invasion of Ukraine with a sufficient number of crews.

"This is likely due to a combination of russia's insufficient numbers of suitably trained personnel and its combat losses," the review said.

It is reported that the russian pilot used commercial GPS devices instead of russian military navigation equipment during his missions.

It likely indicates that Wagner pilots use older models of the Su-25 and that the russian air force doesn't provide Wagner mercenaries with modern avionics equipment.

On June 18, Ukraine's 72nd Separate Mechanized Brigade reported that they had shot down a russian Su-25 aircraft with the Igla portable anti-aircraft missile system.

"We're back in the Donetsk region, relentlessly destroying various Colorado demons [a reference to the russian striped ribbon that looks like a Colorado beetle] not only on our land. There are plenty of these pests in the sky, but now there is one less.

The ruscists' Su-25 decided to ask, 'Who is here?' The response was immediate. It hit them loud and clear. Because in the right hands, the Igla MANPADS is a good tool for clearing all sorts of junk out of the sky," the soldiers commented.

Earlier, the UK's Ministry of Defense reported that russian forces had advanced towards the Luhansk region's city of Lysychansk, and the Ukrainian troops had to withdraw to avoid being encircled.

"russia's improved performance in this sector is likely a result of recent unit reinforcement and heavy concentration of fire. russian forces are putting the Lysychansk–Sievierodonetsk pocket under increasing pressure with this creeping advance around the fringes of the built-up area," the Intelligence said.

However, the British intelligence officers said the russian forces' efforts to achieve a deeper encirclement to take the western part of the Donetsk region remained stalled.