According to American analysts, the Russian Defense Ministry puts the “Wagnerites” in Bakhmut on the back burner and introduces regular troops into the city. There is an active integration of the army corps of the so-called “DPR” and “LPR” into the Russian army.
Russian President Vladimir Putin allowed the Russian Defense Ministry, headed by Sergei Shoigu, to regain control over Russian troops fighting in Ukraine. This is stated in the report of the American Institute for the Study of War (ISW) dated February 26.
The permission of the President of the Russian Federation followed the arrival in Ukraine of the main part of the 300,000 mobilized, analysts believe.
The institute listed events that prove Putin’s desire to concentrate Russian military forces under the leadership of the Russian Defense Ministry. First of all, this is the appointment of the head of the Russian General Staff, Valery Gerasimov, as commander of the occupying forces in Ukraine. Sergei Surovikin, who previously held this position, became his subordinate.
Another proof, according to experts, is the active integration of the 1st and 2nd army corps of the so-called “DPR” and “LPR” into the RF Armed Forces. Puppet unit commanders are being eliminated, causing backlash from ultra-nationalists, the ISW stressed.
The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation integrates terrorists “DPR” into the Russian army
[+–]
The Russian Ministry of Defense limits the military activities of PMC “Wagner” – they are not given ammunition and prevented from recruiting prisoners.
“Gerasimov removed responsibility for Bakhmut from Wagner, began to send reinforcements of regular Russian troops there and ordered Russian channels not to announce the name of the PMC on the air,” the report says.
The Russian military ministry is considering limiting access to war zones for military bloggers by introducing new security and discipline rules, the institute noted.
“These controversial measures are part of the ministry’s hasty efforts to deal with the fallout from Putin’s refusal to force mobilization in May 2022,” the experts added.
The President of Russia is clearly preparing the people for a protracted and painful war. He realized that only the Russian Ministry of Defense would be able to maintain the large mechanized forces it needed to maintain hope of achieving ambitions in Ukraine, the ISW concluded.
Recall that Forbes magazine recently calculated Russia’s total spending on a full-scale war in Ukraine. According to the publication, it took almost $115 billion, or 30% of the entire Russian budget for 2021.
According to British intelligence data for February 12, Russian troops suffered the largest losses in Ukraine since the beginning of a full-scale war in 2 weeks – more than 800 people in 1 day.
On February 26, Deputy Head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine Vadym Skibitsky spoke about the readiness of the Armed Forces of Ukraine to launch a counteroffensive in the spring. The Armed Forces of Ukraine will seek to divide the occupiers between Crimea and the mainland of the Russian Federation.
