Russia has sent 10,000 paratroopers to Robotyne as ordinary infantry – British intelligence

In the last two weeks, Russia is likely to have additionally reinforced the 58th Combined Arms Army, which is in a difficult position, with additional airborne units of the Airborne Forces on the Orikhiv front in the Zaporizhzhia region.

The British Ministry of Defense reported this on Twitter.

"Over the last two weeks, Russia has likely further reinforced the hard-pressed 58thCombined Arms Army with additional VDV airborne units on the Orikhiv axis in Zaporizhzhia Oblast," the message reads.

As noted in the summary, a total of at least five airborne regiments recruited from the 7th and 76th divisions are likely now concentrated within a few kilometers of the front-line village of Robotyne.

According to British intelligence, such a force should comprise about 10,000 elite paratroopers. However, almost all units are likely to be in critical condition.

"The current situation is likely to be seen as highly unsatisfactory by the VDV hierarchy [the Airborne Forces – ed.]. Throughout the war, Russian commanders have attempted to regenerate the airborne forces as a highly mobile, striking force for offensive operations. Once again, they are being used as line infantry to augment over-stretched ground forces," – the British Ministry of Defense noted.

For reference:

Earlier, the agency reported that the Russian troops began to transfer reinforcements from other areas of the front to Robotyne in the Zaporizhzhia region as they felt significant pressure on their defense lines: such actions would reduce the ability of the occupiers to conduct an offensive in other directions of the front.

It was also reported that the regions of the Russian Federation began to form the so-called "territorial defense" because Russia began to feel a lack of professional soldiers.

The day before, British intelligence warned that the Russian Federation, like last year, would likely launch missile strikes on Ukraine's energy infrastructure in the winter.