Kremlin boss Putin wants a major offensive in the Ukraine war - but the problems of the first mobilization probably also inhibit the second wave.
Kyiv – Russia hesitates.
There has been talk of a new major Russian offensive in Ukraine for weeks.
But the military of Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin is said to be struggling with mobilization problems.
"They want a second wave of recruiting, but they shy away because the hurdles of the first wave are still there," Ukrainian deputy intelligence chief Vadym Skibitsky told the
Wall Street Journal (WSJ)
.
The Russian military is in “standby” mode.
"They weren't prepared then for an action of this magnitude, and they aren't now," Skibitsky continued.
From his point of view, the biggest problems for Putin's troops: a lack of modern equipment and a shortage of sufficiently qualified trainers for the newly recruited soldiers.
Despite tens of thousands of fighters, Russia has made little progress in eastern Ukraine in recent weeks.
The battle for Bakhmut is protracted due to resistance from Ukrainian forces.
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Picture taken on February 5: two mercenaries from the Vostok Battalion during an exercise in the Donetsk region
© Sergey Averin/Imago
Russia's second mobilization falters - Wagner boss Prigozchin changes recruitment
The Russian private army Wagner recently announced that it would no longer recruit prisoners.
The mercenaries fight for Moscow's goal in the Ukraine war.
According to the WSJ
, Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin said
it could take "up to two years" to completely take over the Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
British intelligence had a hunch that influenced Prigozhin's decision: the escalating rivalry between his mercenary group and the Russian Defense Ministry.
A Year of Ukraine War: The Origins of the Conflict with Russia
A Year of Ukraine War: The Origins of the Conflict with Russia
Problems facing the Russian military: use up forces or scale back targets?
Putin's partial mobilization in September 2022 added more than 300,000 members to the Russian military.
The encirclement of Bachmut was the first success in months, according to the
WSJ
.
According to British information, Russia is facing a difficult directional decision for its attack on Ukraine.
The military is likely to have deployed most of the reservists who were called up for the first wave.
Moscow is therefore faced with the difficult decision of either further using up the armed forces, reducing the targets or carrying out further mobilization.
(frs)
Rubric list image: © Sergey Averin/Imago
