Russian troops have prioritized an operation trying to encircle Donetsk Oblast's Avdiivka but have made "only marginal progress" in the area, losing many armored vehicles, the U.K. Defense Ministry reported on March 28.
Russia's 10th Tank Regiment has probably lost a large proportion of its tanks in an attempt to encircle the city of Avdiivka from the south, according to the ministry's latest intelligence update.
The regiment is part of the 3rd Army Corps, the first major new formation created by Russia to support the full-scale invasion of Ukraine since August last year.
According to open sources, cited by the ministry, the 3rd Army Corps has particularly suffered from problems with indiscipline and low morale.
"Despite a likely period of training in Belarus, the formation still appears to display limited combat effectiveness," reads the update.
The U.K. Defense Ministry explained the significant equipment losses of Russia's 10th Tank Regiment by "tactically flawed frontal assaults similar to those in other recent failed Russian armored attacks, such as around the town of Vuhledar."
Avdiivka is located in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk Oblast, just 10 kilometers from the city of Donetsk, which has been occupied by Russia since 2014. It has recently become the site of intense battles as Russia attempts to advance on the city.
The Institute for the Study of War said in its March 27 update that Russia's military leadership had likely committed some Kremlin-backed private mercenary Wagner Group elements to the Russian offensive on Avdiivka in order to reinforce its recent limited advances on the city.
Francis Farrell
