Elite units of the Russian army suffered heavy losses due to the inability to anticipate Ukrainian resistance

Elite units of the Russian army, including airborne troops, have suffered significant losses due to the misuse of their potential and inability to anticipate Ukrainian resistance.

This was reported by the UK Ministry of Defence with reference to the findings of its intelligence.

It was noted there that at the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Russia used paratroopers in an unsuccessful attempt to attack Kyiv, a delayed offensive through Izyum, and a failed forcing of the Seversky Donets.

The airborne troops of the Russian Federation consist of almost 45,000 servicemen (mostly contractors). They are considered elite units and in Russian military doctrine are designed to perform the most complex operations. However, in Ukraine, paratroopers were used in missions that would be better suited for heavy infantry, so they suffered heavy losses.

This indicates a strategic mismanagement of the paratroopersʼ potential and Russiaʼs inability to gain an advantage in the air, say the British.

"The failure to anticipate Ukrainian resistance and the subsequent complacency of Russian commanders has led to significant losses across many of Russia’s more elite units," the UK Intelligence said.