More than a quarter of Russian tactical groups have been rendered “combat ineffective” in Ukraine, British defence chiefs have said.

The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) released its latest update on the situation on the ground in Ukraine on Monday morning.

They said that Russia is believed to have committed more than 120 battalion tactical groups – around 65 per cent of its entire combat strength.

However, more than “a quarter of these units have now been rendered combat ineffective”, the MoD said.

It added: “Some of Russia’s most elite units, including the VDV Airborne Forces, have suffered the highest levels of attrition. It will probably take years for Russia to reconstitute these forces.”

It comes after a US defence official said on Friday that the Russian offensive is going much slower than planned in part because of the strength of the Ukrainian resistance.

“We also assess that because of this slow and uneven progress, again, without perfect knowledge of every aspect of the Russian plan, we do believe and assess that they are behind schedule in what they were trying to accomplish in the Donbas,” the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the US military’s assessment.

He said the US believes the Russians are “at least several days behind where they wanted to be” as they try to encircle Ukrainian troops in the east.

As the troops try to move north out of Mariupol so they can advance on Ukrainian forces from the south, their progress has been “slow and uneven, and certainly not decisive in any event,” the official said.

In other developments, Ukrainian Deputy Agriculture Minister Taras Vysotsky said in televised remarks that Russian forces have seized hundreds of thousands of tons of grain in territory under their control.

Ukraine is a major grain producer, and the invasion has pushed up world prices and raised concerns about shortages.

Meanwhile, a Russian rocket attack destroyed the airport runway in Odesa, Ukraine’s third-most populous city and a key Black Sea port, the Ukrainian army said.

Blakjewelry:
Sometimes I wonder how Russia with a million man strong military is been reported as losing the war in Ukraine when they have not used up 2% of it military

Blakjewelry:
Sometimes I wonder how Russia with a million man strong military is been reported as losing the war in Ukraine when they have not used up 2% of it military

Blakjewelry:
Sometimes I wonder how Russia with a million man strong military is been reported as losing the war in Ukraine when they have not used up 2% of it military

Northernblood5:


Keep deceiving yourself. Do you know what it means for Army Chief of Staff to enter battle? Do you know how protected he will be in battle field?

If that man can be touched, trust me, Russia is loosing heavily.

lecowas:


Where have you guys gotten the statistics of 2%? Lol. Ukraine is not actually winning the battle but they are winning the war. Do u know what it is for a super power to invade you and not make any meaningful progress after 2 months.

Blakjewelry:

Russia is not out to take over Ukraine, their interest is in a particular region of which is mostly achieve currently, the west is looking for a way to scream genocide but Russia refused to fall into their hand

sapientia:
Europe is tired of Nuclear threats

Only One country have threatened the whole world with Nuclear attack for more than 5 decades

They are being called bluff

Blakjewelry:

Russia is not out to take over Ukraine, their interest is in a particular region of which is mostly achieve currently, the west is looking for a way to scream genocide but Russia refused to fall into their hand

Blakjewelry:
Sometimes I wonder how Russia with a million man strong military is been reported as losing the war in Ukraine when they have not used up 2% of it military

joyandfaith:


Achieve what? Three stages of annexing territories.
Invade, occupy and govern peaceful. RA should be ready to hang in that region for a long time.

Northernblood5:


Keep deceiving yourself. Do you know what it means for Army Chief of Staff to enter battle? Do you know how protected he will be in battle field?

If that man can be touched, trust me, Russia is loosing heavily.

lecowas:


Where have you guys gotten the statistics of 2%? Lol. Ukraine is not actually winning the battle but they are winning the war. Do u know what it is for a super power to invade you and not make any meaningful progress after 2 months.

Kingpin1000:

It sounds funny when people say Ukraine is winning, the war is between the NATO and Russia and not just Ukraine.
what do you classify as winning a war?
Are the objectives stated by Russia before the war not being carried out.
Is it by the number of military wares lost by a side they makes them losers?
Has Ukraine not been begging for weapons and receiving weapons and fighters from the west?
For your information, some French green berets have been fighting alongside Azov battalion in Mariupol.
A Canadian general was captured in Mariupol.
Aircrafts and other weapons are being transported to Ukraine on weekly basis.
Which country has seen such donations since WWII, it will take a daft person to think it's Ukraine fighting.
Ukraine just donated the battlefield with promise of rebuilding.

Blakjewelry:

Sometimes I don't know how you people reason, similar thing happened in bakassi region, the people claimed they are Nigerians but Nigeria refused to stand up for it people because of some stupid international treaty or whatever. The people of Donbass said they don't belong to Ukraine why not let them go, there has been a lot atrocities committed since 2014 and no one is talking about it. Now the people are happy why not let them be