Russia Being Beaten By Ukraine: UK Assessment

Some Russian military units suffering heavy losses in Ukraine have been forced to return to Belarus and Russia to resupply, placing additional pressure on Russia's already strained logistics, the British Defense Ministry said in an assessment Wednesday, John Bacon and Celina Tebor reported for USA TODAY.

Photo Insert: The assessment comes amid reports from US intelligence that Russian President Vladimir Putin was misinformed about his military's performance in Ukraine – and that tensions have risen between Putin and his advisers.

The problems demonstrate the difficulties Russia is having reorganizing its units in forwarding areas within Ukraine, the assessment says. Russia will likely continue to compensate for its reduced ground-force capability "through mass artillery and missile strikes," the assessment says.

The assessment comes amid reports from US intelligence that Russian President Vladimir Putin was misinformed about his military's performance in Ukraine – and that tensions have risen between Putin and his advisers.

Russia this week announced plans to dial back its military activity in and around Kyiv, but Ukraine authorities say the city continues to be battered by artillery assaults.

Russian military leaders said last week that the first phase of its military operation was mostly complete and that forces would focus on "liberating" the breakaway Luhansk and Donetsk People's Republics in the Donbass region of eastern Ukraine.

"Russia’s stated focus on an offensive in Donetsk and Luhansk is likely a tacit admission that it is struggling to sustain more than one significant axis of advance," the assessment says.

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