British intelligence: "Russia has not achieved strategic objectives"

Russian forces failed to achieve their initial objectives to seize Kyiv and Ukrainian centres of government. Following the failure of the initial plan, through false planning assumptions and poor tactical execution, Russia adapted its operational design to focus on the Donbas, the UK Defence Ministry wrote on Twitter, Report informs.

According to the ministry, Russia is now achieving tactical success in the Donbas: "Russian forces have generated and maintained momentum and currently appear to hold the initiative over Ukrainian opposition."

"Russia controls over 90% of Luhansk Oblast and is likely to complete control in the next two weeks," the ministry tweeted. "Russia has achieved these recent tactical successes at significant resource cost and by concentrating force and fires on a single part of the overall campaign. Russia has not been able to generate manoeuvre or movement on other fronts or axes, all of which have transitioned to the defensive."

"Measured against Russia's original plan, none of the strategic objectives have been achieved. In order for Russia to achieve any form of success will require a continued huge investment of manpower and equipment and is likely to take considerable further time," the ministry said.