Ukraine: Russia's armoured force losses discussed by Milley
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The news comes as Russia makes painfully slow advances in eastern Ukraine following an unsuccessful bid to capture central Ukraine and the capital Kyiv at the outset of the conflict. Since the start of the war, Russia has lost huge amounts of equipment and military personnel, forcing Moscow to revert to Cold War-era assets, many of which are dated and lack accuracy. The MoD has now taken aim at the latest equipment to hit the frontlines of Russian advances in Ukraine.
They have claimed that the MT-LB vehicles the Russian infantry is rolling out are knackered and lightly armed.
The Ministry of Defence, in an intelligence report on the subject, said: “Russia is moving reserve forces from across the country and assembling them near Ukraine for future offensive operations.
“A large proportion of the new infantry units are probably deploying with MT-LB armoured vehicles taken from long-term storage as their primary transport.
“While MT-LBs have previously been in service in support roles on both sides, Russia has long considered them unsuitable for most front-line infantry transport roles.
“It was originally designed in the 1950s as a tractor to pull artillery, has very limited armour, and only mounts a machine gun for protection.”
The report went on to discuss previous Russian assaults.
It continued: “In contract, most of Russia’s first echelon assault units were equipped with BMP-2 infantry fighting vehicles in February, featuring armour up to 33cm thick, and mounting a powerful 30mm autocannon and anti-tank missile launcher.
“Despite President Putin’s claim on July 7 that the Russian military has ‘not even started’ its efforts in Ukraine, many of its reinforcements are ad-hoc groupings, deploying with obsolete or inappropriate equipment.”
Putin was defiant in his latest message warning those wishing to oppose Russia’s mission in Ukraine.
He said: “Today we hear that they want to defeat us on the battlefield. What can you say, let them try?
“Everyone should know that, by and large, we haven’t started anything yet in earnest.”
The low-slung MT-LB was designed as a Cold War “amphibious tractor” and can carry up to 10 soldiers in its cramped and airless hold, as well as a driver and a gunner.
Its simple design compares to the more sophisticated BMP-2 infantry fighting vehicles, used in Russia’s initial invasion of Ukraine, which carries 33mm thick armour, a 30mm autocannon and an anti-tank missile launcher.
Russian media has reported that the Arctic Fleets’ 200th Motorised Infantry Brigade has deployed to Ukraine and Ukrainian intelligence has said that Russia is raising a new infantry corps near Nizhny Novgorod.
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Since the start of the war, Russia has seen significant losses in terms of both troops and military equipment.
The latest estimates released by the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 3,828 armoured personnel vehicles have been destroyed.
Furthermore, 37,400 troops have reportedly died.
In terms of tanks, the ministry alleges 1,64 Russian tanks have been destroyed.
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The latest reports emerging from Ukraine suggest President Volodymyr Zelensky is looking to amass an army one million strong to recapture much of the lost ground in eastern Ukraine.
Ukraine’s Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov said retaking the areas around the Black Sea coast was vital to the country’s economy.
Millions of tonnes of Ukrainian grain and wheat remain trapped in Black Sea ports over allegations of a Russian blockade on the area.
However, Russia did recently give up the strategic Snake Island in what Moscow labelled as a goodwill gesture.
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