It is the American think tank ISW which reports on the Russian troop movements, in which at least one regiment from the VDV Air Assault Force is said to be affected.
They are said to be moved to Kursk to strengthen, as there are currently many Russian conscripts there.
– It’s like a good and mixed mix of different associations with different dignities with different organizational residences. And that has created a problem both in terms of management and maintenance services, says former lieutenant colonel Jörgen Elfving.
“They have limited ability”
He says the Russian airborne troops were generally seen as elite units – before the full-scale invasion in February 2022.
Today, he says, they are but a shadow of their former selves.
– Losses have been inflicted both in personnel and material. It’s a parachute unit we’re talking about, a unit that is to be air deployed by helicopter, but I judge that that ability today is extremely limited, he says.
The Ukrainians are digging in
Jörgen Elfving says that Ukraine’s counter-offensive in the Russian region of Kursk surprised the Russians, who he feels are trying to downplay the situation.
Vladimir Putin has said that the Ukrainian units should have had time to be pushed out by October 1, which Elfving does not consider likely.
– There are indications that the Ukrainians are digging themselves in, he says.
“The Russians are terrible at tactics”
At the same time, Russia is pushing in the Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine, where it is now only a few kilometers from the city of Pokrovsk.
– It can be stated that Russia has an advantage when it comes to both personnel and material, but on the other hand, they are abysmal in combat technology and tactics, says Jörgen Elfving and concludes:
– This is due, among other things, to the loss of lower-ranking officers, i.e. platoon commanders, company commanders and battalion commanders, and the fact that their replacements are not as well trained.