Too few troops and equipment?
London: Russia probably cancels major military exercises
08/28/2023, 11:35 am
The “Zapad 23” should have actually taken place in September. According to British information, Russia is canceling the military maneuvers due to a lack of troops. The Ukraine war would also show that such exercises have only limited value, they say.
The British Ministry of Defense believes it is very likely that Russia has canceled a military exercise planned for September. The “Zapad (‘West’) 23” exercise should actually have been the highlight of the military training year, the British wrote in their daily update on the short message service X, formerly Twitter.
The previous operation “Zapad 21” was the largest Russian exercise since Soviet times. “The underperformance of the Russian military in Ukraine showed that joint strategic exercises had limited value and were mainly for show,” the ministry wrote.
Russia probably canceled “Zapad 23” because too few troops and equipment were available. The leadership may also fear criticism in the country if they hold another brilliantly presented military exercise in times of war. Russia last held the maneuver together with Belarus two years ago. Among other things, it took place near the borders of EU member countries.
The British Ministry of Defense has published daily information on the course of the war since the beginning of the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine. Moscow accuses London of disinformation.