The British Defense Ministry’s 21 September intelligence update reveals that Russia’s continued military presence in Ukraine, without rotations, has dampened troop morale and hampered high-level training.

The ministry tweeted:

• Today, 21 September 2023, is the anniversary of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s announcement of the 2022 ‘partial mobilisation’ which saw around 300,000 Russian reservists called up to serve in Ukraine.
• On 15 September 2023, Russian State Duma Defence Committee Chair and former general Andrei Kartapolov reiterated that mobilised personnel were obliged to serve for the duration of the ‘special military operation’. In a new admission of the stark situation at the front, he also said that it was not possible for personnel to be rotated out of the operational zone during their service.
• The absence of regular unit rotations out of combat duty is highly likely one of the most important factors contributing to low Russian morale, and the Russian Army’s failure to conduct higher-level training since the invasion. The lack of such training is highly likely contributing to Russia’s difficulties in conducting successful complex offensive operations.

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