Russia continues to redeploy regular units to Bakhmut sector – British intelligence

15:09, 03.06.2023 1 min read

Russia has continued to redeploy regular units to the Bakhmut sector, as Wagner Group assault detachment complete their withdrawal to rear areas, according to the defense intelligence report published on Twitter by the Ministry of Defense of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland on Saturday morning.

"Russian VDV (airborne forces) have assumed an increasingly important role in Bakhmut: elements of the 76th and 106th divisions and two additional separate VDV brigades are now deployed to the sector," it said.

According to the statement, the VDV is much degraded from its pre-invasion 'elite' status. However, Russian commanders have likely attempted to maintain some of these still relatively capable units as an uncommitted reserve.

"Because they have instead been forced to deploy them to hold the front line in Bakhmut, the whole Russian force is likely to be less flexible in reacting to operational challenges," the intelligence said.