Russia’s underestimation of Ukrainian resistance prevented Russian President Vladimir Putin from announcing significant military success in Ukraine at Russia’s Victory Day parade yesterday, according to the UK’s Ministry of Defence.
It says Russia’s invasion plan is “highly likely” to have been based on the mistaken assumption it would encounter limited resistance, and would be able to quickly encircle and bypass population centres.
This assumption led Russian forces to open their attack with “a light, precise approach intended to achieve a rapid victory with minimal cost”, the UK’s MoD says in an update.
Russia’s miscalculation led to “unsustainable losses and a subsequent reduction in Russia’s operational focus”, it said.
BBC