Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukrainian is being hampered by a “disunited command”, the British Ministry of Defence (MoD) has claimed.
In its latest military intelligence briefing, the department said Moscow’s deployment of “disparate personnel” in cities such as Mariupol showed its “significant resourcing problem” as well as its lack of unity.
The assessment comes as Ukraine is set to hold its first war crimes trial against a 21-year-old Russian serviceman in Kyiv.
The soldier, Vadim Shishimarin, has been charged with the premeditated murder of a 62-year-old within days of Russia’s invasion in Sumy. If convicted, he could face a life sentence.
Meanwhile, concerns are growing about the fate of more than 250 Ukrainian fighters who were evacuated from Mariupol’s Azovstal steelwork to Russian-held territory.
Although Ukraine has said it hopes to exchange them for Russian prisoners of war, Russia’s main federal investigative body has indicated that it could bring charges against the troops.
