Russia has lost a staggering 87 percent of the total number of active-duty ground troops it had prior to launching its invasion of Ukraine and two-thirds of its pre-invasion tanks, a source familiar with a declassified US intelligence assessment provided to Congress told CNN.

Still, despite heavy losses of men and equipment, Russian President Vladimir Putin is determined to push forward as the war approaches its two-year anniversary early next year and US officials are warning that Ukraine remains deeply vulnerable. A highly anticipated Ukrainian counteroffensive stagnated through the fall, and US officials believe that Kyiv is unlikely to make any major gains over the coming months.

The assessment, sent to Capitol Hill on Monday, comes as some Republicans have balked at the US providing additional funding for Ukraine and the Biden administration has launched a full-court press to try to get supplemental funding through Congress.

  • SCB@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    37
    ·
    1 year ago

    as long as the supply chain is able to back it up.

    The amount of heavy lifting this clause is doing cannot b overstated

    • Magnetar@feddit.de
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      2
      arrow-down
      3
      ·
      11 months ago

      The thing is, Ukraine has no real possibility of interrupting the supply chain, since it doesn’t have the weapons to do so, or is not allowed to use on Russian soil in case of western weapons. All it can do is himarsing the last few dozens of kilometers around the front.

      And Russia can produce or dig up WW2-level shit from storage for a very long time.

      • SCB@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        4
        arrow-down
        1
        ·
        edit-2
        11 months ago

        Russia hurts its own supply chain because the entire state apparatus functions via corruption at every possible level.

        Also Ukraine has absolutely already struck targets on Russian soil with US weapons.

        • Magnetar@feddit.de
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          1
          ·
          11 months ago

          Not to my knowlege except for some very minor cases, like those incursions into Belgorod. GMLRS, ATACMS, Storm Shadow etc have exclusively been used inside (occupied) Ukraine, as far as I know. The long range drone strikes inside Russia are all claimed to have used only domestic Ukrainian weaponry. Can you give me a source?

          • SCB@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            3
            ·
            edit-2
            11 months ago

            I was wrong! They were formerly sovet ballistic missiles. I am less good at remembering missile names than I thought