Extremely high losses, primitive tactics, and unprepared soldiers - British intelligence on the state of the Russian army
Kyiv • UNN
British intelligence reports that after four years of war, Russia has lost over 1.25 million killed and wounded, forcing it to use primitive tactics and advance through numerical superiority.
After four years of war against Ukraine, Russia has lost most of its professional military personnel and is forced to compensate with low-skilled personnel. More than 1.25 million killed and wounded have undermined the combat capability of the Russian army, forcing the command to use primitive tactics and advance due to numerical superiority and readiness for extremely high losses. This was reported by British intelligence, according to UNN.
After four years of conflict, most of the professional Russian Ground Forces (RGF) that started the war have suffered significant losses. This has forced Russia to rely on a large number of low-skilled personnel to continue the war against Ukraine. As part of this shift to mass action, Russia is restructuring its forces, returning to the concept of divisional forces. However, due to the need to maintain constant pressure on the front, the casualty rate remains high, limiting Russia's ability to fully form or reorganize new and existing units
It is reported that Russia's losses of over 1,250,000 killed and wounded have undermined the quality of the Russian armed forces.
Most of the servicemen currently serving in the Russian army have received minimal training, forcing Russian commanders to use basic tactical techniques to advance despite high casualty rates. Russian forces have adapted their tactics, making greater use of light vehicles, unmanned aerial vehicles, and infiltration groups, which has allowed them to bypass Ukrainian defensive positions and disrupt Ukraine's logistics. Despite the losses suffered by the ground forces, Russia has been able to maintain constant pressure on Ukrainian defenses. The advance of Russian troops in Ukraine accelerated throughout 2025, peaking at the end of the year. The continuation of offensive operations was supported by the Russian leadership's tolerance for losses and the numerical superiority of Russian troops over the Armed Forces of Ukraine
Recall
On February 23, Russian troops lost 920 soldiers and 1693 UAVs in the war with Ukraine.