UK intelligence: Russian army losing initiative at front

Since the start of May 2023, Russia has increasingly ceded the initiative in the conflict and is reacting to Ukrainian action rather than actively progressing towards its own war aims.

“During May 2023, Russia has launched 20 nights of one-way-attack uncrewed aerial vehicle and cruise missile attacks deep inside Ukraine,” Caliber.Az reports citing the UK Defence Ministry's daily intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine.

Latest Defence Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine - 31 May 2023.

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The report noted that Russia has had little success in its likely aims of neutralising Ukraine’s improved air defences and destroying Ukrainian counter-attack forces. On the ground, it has redeployed security forces to react to partisan attacks inside Western Russia.

Operationally, Russian commanders are likely attempting to generate reserve forces and position them where they believe a Ukrainian counter-attack will occur, the UK Defence Ministry added.

“However, this has probably been undermined by uncommitted forces instead being sent to fill gaps in the front line around Bakhmut,” the report emphasized.