Russia’s occupying army is having trouble producing combat infantry capable of effectively attacking – as evidenced by the existence of so-called Storm-Z units, the UK Ministry of Defense tweeted, citing intelligence data.
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The British indicate that Russia continues to rely largely on Storm-Z units to conduct local offensive operations in Ukraine. These mouth-sized groups were probably first deployed last year.
Initially, the Russian military command probably viewed them as relatively elite units that could seize the tactical initiative. But, at least since the spring of 2023, Storm-Z have actually turned into penal battalions, staffed by convicts and regular military personnel subject to disciplinary liability. These units are given the lowest priority in logistics and medical support, but have been repeatedly ordered to advance.
Despite its effective defense, the existence of the Storm Z points to the extreme difficulties Russia faces in developing a combat infantry force capable of conducting effective offensive operations.
Let us recall that British intelligence believes that Russia’s losses in killed and seriously wounded amount to up to 190 thousand military personnel, and taking into account the wounded who are able to return to the battlefield after recovery – up to 290 thousand people.
Source: Racurs
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.