Putin's defence chief speaks for the first time
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The report comes as Russia struggles to make gains in Ukraine and hold on to captured land. On Wednesday, Ukrainian forces managed to severely damage the Antonovsky Bridge in Kherson which serves as a major Russian military supply link.
The Ukrainian Defence Ministry tweeted: “Successful missile strikes on bridges over the Dnipro River by UAarmy create an impossible dilemma for Russian occupiers in Kherson.
“Retreat or be annihilated by UAarmy. The choice is theirs.”
Also on Wednesday, NATO’s Defence College released a new report entitled ‘Russia’s Military After Ukraine: Down but Not Out’ where the policy brief analyses the current state of Russia’s military forces.
According to the report: “Russia has not utilised its full military potential in the attack against Ukraine,” despite heavy losses faced by Russia.
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which began in February, Russia has suffered losses of military personnel, armoured vehicles, aircrafts and artillery weapons.
The report continued: “It did not order general mobilisation.
“Maintaining the ability to engage, if needed, in operations against NATO may explain some of the characteristics and ‘surprises’ of the Russian war against Ukraine.
“For example, the limited use of airpower, gradual deployment of older and less precise weapon systems, or what appear to be subdued attacks in cyberspace.”
Last month, President Putin warned NATO that Russia “would respond in kind” if the alliance deploys troops to Finland and Sweden.
Speaking in Turkmenistan, Putin said: “With Sweden and Finland, we don’t have the problems that we have with Ukraine. They want to join NATO, go ahead.
“But they must understand there was no threat before, while now, if military contingents and infrastructure are deployed there, we will have to respond in kind and create the same threats for the territories from which threats towards us are created.”
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The report added: “The official Russian narrative is almost always defensive, but the essence of Moscow’s approach is to change the status quo.
“In this context, an attack against a NATO country remains a possibility.”
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