Russia again cancels Intl Army Games, probably due to lack of personnel, equipment – British intelligence

13:36, 29.05.2024 1 min read

The annual International Army Games, which have been organized by the Russian Ministry of Defense since 2015, will not take place this year in 2024, just as they did not take place in 2023, British intelligence reports, citing Russian sources.

"Russia has likely called-off the Games to avoid criticism of the event as a trivial activity in wartime, diverting military effort from the war in Ukraine, and to avoid likely reduced participation from other countries... There is also a realistic possibility that, due to losses in In Ukraine, the Russian Ministry of Defense is concerned a shortage of skilled military personnel and equipment would risk Russia's consistent domination of the competition," the UK Ministry of Defense said in a statement on Wednesday.

It is reported that 6,000 people from 37 countries took part in the latest International Army Games in 2022.