According to the British Ministry of Defense, Russia could change the composition of its troops and thus its tactics in Ukraine. The battalion groups are therefore a thing of the past. After numerous setbacks, this should bring more flexibility for the troops.
According to British estimates, after heavy defeats in the war against Ukraine, Russia has backed away from its basic military and tactical concept. In the past three months, the Russian forces in Ukraine have largely stopped appearing as tactical battalion groups (BTG), the Ministry of Defense said in London, citing intelligence findings.
The high-intensity fighting over a wide area would have revealed several errors in the concept. "The relatively small allocation of infantry to the BTG has often proved insufficient." In addition, the decentralized distribution of artillery did not allow Russia to exploit its quantitative advantage in this important type of weapon. Only a few commanders have permission to use the model flexibly, it said in London.
The BTG concept is a central pillar of Russian military doctrine in recent years. Each tactical unit is equipped with infantry, anti-aircraft, artillery, logistics and reconnaissance units. This should enable the units to fight independently with several types of weapons.
Since the beginning of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine at the end of February, the British Ministry of Defense has published daily information on the course of the war, citing intelligence information. In doing so, the British government wants to both counter the Russian portrayal and keep allies in line. Moscow accuses London of a disinformation campaign.
