russians adjusting offensive plans in Ukraine’s east due to no gains – British intelligence

The lack of significant gains on the Ukrainian eastern front forces the russian military leadership to adjust its plans.

The Ministry of Defense of Great Britain reported this on Twitter, citing intelligence data.

"russia is probably adjusting the operational design of its Donbas offensive after failing to make a decisive operational breakthrough under the plan it had been following since April," the agency said.

It is noted that during the last four days, the Russian army continued to attempt tactical offensives on the Bakhmut axis, but its progress was slow.

The British Ministry of Defense added that russia had identified the Zaporizhzhia direction as its vulnerable area that needs strengthening.

"As briefed by the Ukrainian authorities last week, Russia is likely reallocating a significant number of its forces from the northern Donbas sector to southern Ukraine," the defense ministry said.

Earlier, the UK's Ministry of Defense reported that Ukraine had likely successfully repelled small-scale russian assaults from the long-established front line near Donetsk city in the Donbas.

British intelligence also reported that Ukraine's counter-offensive in Kherson in Ukraine's south was gathering momentum. Ukraine's forces have likely established a bridgehead south of the Inhulets River, forming the northern boundary of russian-occupied Kherson.

The UK's Defense Ministry added that Ukraine had used its new long-range artillery to damage at least three of the bridges across the Dnipro River, which russia relies upon to supply the areas under its control. 

"Kherson city, the most politically significant population center occupied by russia, is now virtually cut off from the other occupied territories. Its loss would severely undermine Russia's attempts to paint the occupation as a success," the intelligence said.

The BBC reported that the offensives in the east are the only operations that the russians appear able to sustain in Ukraine at the moment, with their resources stretched by the Ukrainian counter-offensive in Kherson and another around Izium. 

Read Rubryka's daily timeline of war: current news on Ukraine's defense against russia's aggression.