Vladimir Putin’s forces are “deepening more and more” from the scale of his offensive in Ukraine, which has had only limited success, the British defense chief said on Tuesday. They said it was launching “large numbers” of missiles commonly used to target “strategically important” locations, but instead used them to gain “tactical advantage”. They argued that the combat effectiveness of its military units was deteriorating so much that it was “probably unsustainable in the long run”. Mr Putin’s troops seized control of the eastern industrial city of Sheverodonetsk over the weekend. They are now trying to capture the twin city of Lysychansk, across the Siverskyi Donets River from Severodonetsk in the eastern Luhansk province of the Donbas region.
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In its latest update, the Ministry of Defense in London said: “Ukrainian forces continue to consolidate their positions on higher ground in the city of Lysychansk, after falling behind Severodonetsk. “Ukrainian forces continue to disrupt Russian command and control with successful blows deep behind the Russian lines.” He added: “On June 24-26, Russia launched an unusually strong wave of strikes across Ukraine using long-range missiles. These weapons probably included the Soviet-era AS-4 KITCHEN and more modern AS-23a KODIAK missiles, fired from both Belarusian and Russian airspace. A damaged Russian tank begins to rust in forests near Kyiv / Getty Images “These weapons are designed to meet strategic objectives, but Russia continues to spend them in large numbers for tactical advantage.” The British defense chiefs also stressed: “Similarly, he targeted the key elements of six different armies, but only achieved regular success in Sieverodonetsk. The Russian armed forces are disappearing more and more. “They are currently accepting a level of degraded combat effectiveness, which is probably unsustainable in the long run.” Britain, the United States and other allies are waging an information war against the Kremlin, so its intelligence reports need to be treated with caution and often highlight Russian failures or weaknesses despite Ukraine’s losses. However, the Russian propaganda machine often appears to be in complete opposition to the truth, including the suggestion that a rocket attack on a crowded supermarket in Kremenchuk in central Ukraine was provoked by the forces of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. More than 1,000 people were inside when two Russian rockets landed at a shopping mall in Kremenchuk, Poltava, Zelensky said. Britain has condemned the attack as a “terrorist act” by Mr Putin’s military. Emergency crews were still searching for survivors in the ruins of the mall. At least 18 people were killed and 25 were hospitalized, while about 36 are missing, according to civilian leaders. Meanwhile, Russian troops and their allies in the Luhansk Republic were advancing on Lysychansk and street battles broke out, said the ambassador to Moscow of the Luhansk People’s Republic, which is recognized only by Russia. Ukrainian forces were still in control of Lysychansk, but its loss was possible as Russia diverted resources into the battle, said Luhansk provincial governor Serhiy Gaidai. The Russian army again bombed the eastern city of Kharkiv, hitting apartment buildings and an elementary school, killing five people and injuring 22, including children.
