Russian casualties soar by 90% as Putin’s generals order livid assaults on small metropolis in east, UK intelligence says

• Russia has been finishing up offensive operations within the space of Avdiivka in jap Ukraine.

• The assaults have contributed to a 90% improve in Russian casualties, the UK MoD mentioned.

• Russia has gained marginal floor however suffered excessive personnel and weaponry losses within the space.

Russian offensive army campaigns in jap Ukraine have been partly behind a 90% improve in Russian casualties recorded by Ukraine, in line with an intelligence update from the UK Ministry of Defence.

Russia has been finishing up offensive operations within the space of Avdiivka, a small metropolis simply to the north of Donetsk.

The strikes have been largely unsuccessful to this point, with Russia gaining marginal ground however struggling excessive losses to its personnel and weaponry.

A lot of the combating in Ukraine is now within the south and east of the nation, the place Ukrainian forces are conducting counteroffensive operations to take again territory occupied by Russia.

The US suppose tank the Institute for the Study of War beforehand mentioned that “Russian forces doubtless intend assaults within the Avdiivka space to repair Ukrainian forces and stop them from redeploying to different areas of the entrance.”

However “Ukrainian officers have already recognized the Avdiivka push as a Russian fixing operation, and they’re unlikely to unduly commit Ukrainian manpower to this axis,” the suppose tank added.

Russia is ready to decide to such expensive assaults because it has ramped up recruitment over the course of the warfare by using “monetary incentives” and its partial mobilization final yr, the UK MoD additionally mentioned in its replace.

“This improve of personnel is the key issue behind Russia’s capacity to each defend held territory and conduct expensive assaults,” it mentioned.

It added that it was doubtless Russian forces had taken round 150,000-190,000 “everlasting casualties” —  these killed and completely wounded — since Putin’s full-scale invasion started in February 2022.

These figures don’t embrace the mercenary Wagner Group, which was headed by Yevgeny Prigozhin till he reportedly died in a airplane crash in August, or their prisoner battalions who fought in Bakhmut.

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