Russia's military drew up units from vital areas across Russia as far as 7,000 km from the front to face Ukraine's counteroffensive, the U.K. Defense Ministry said in its latest report on July 6.
The report said that the defense around Bakhmut is mostly composed of elite airborne regiments that are normally stationed in western Russia as a rapid reaction force in case of tensions with NATO.
The intelligence noted that the 58th Combined Arms Army, which is otherwise tasked with securing the Caucasus region, is now defending positions in Zaporizhzhia Oblast.
The 5th Combined Arms Army and Naval Infantry that are holding the front around Velyka Novosilka in Donetsk Oblast are routinely based 7,000 km away near the Chinese border to balance out Beijing's military power in the area, the report added.
In February, U.K. Defense Secretary Ben Wallace told BBC that 97% of the entire Russian army is deployed in Ukraine. On July 5, British Admiral Tony Radakin said that Russia lost half of its combat effectiveness in the invasion.
Asami Terajima
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