Putin's trip shows change in organisation of Russian troops in Ukraine – UK Intelligence

Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to the occupied territories of Ukraine has shown that the initial organisation structure of Russian forces in Ukraine has changed, probably due to heavy losses.

Source: UK Defence Intelligence, as reported by European Pravda

Details: On 18 April 2023, the Kremlin issued a press release on President Putin’s visit to Russian-occupied southern Ukraine. The release described the president as having visited the "Dnepr Group of Forces".

This is one of the first references to the existence of a Dnepr Group of Forces. Russia uses the term "group of forces" in a specific way, indicating a large, task-organised operational formation, UK Defence Intelligence explained.

Early in the invasion, the Russian force was organised into groups of forces each aligned to their home military districts in Russia, for example, the Western and Central Groups of Forces. The existence of an apparently new Dnipr Group of Forces suggests that the original force organisation has evolved, probably due to heavy losses, UK Defence Intelligence noted.

Dnepr Group of Forces’s mission is likely to defend the southern sector of the occupied zone, and especially the south-western flank, which is currently marked by the Dnipro river.

Background: The White House believes that the visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to the occupied territory of Ukraine means that he is aware that the Russian army is not in the best condition.

Prime Minister of Lithuania Ingrida Šimonytė has stated that Russian propaganda is trying to compare Putin's visit to the occupied territories of Ukraine with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy's trips across the contact line.

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