British intelligence explains why Russia's authorities are unable to protect their population from war

This is stated in the July 31 intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine by the UK Ministry of Defense.

According to the Ministry, the Russian authorities' current priority is to amend legislation that will allow them to draft more men into the army faster.

In particular, the intelligence service recalls that in mid-July, the State Duma raised the maximum conscription age from 27 to 30 years old, while leaving the minimum age at 18 years old. The agency also added that although conscripts are not currently operating in Ukraine, they relieve professional and mobilized soldiers of other duties inside Russia.

On July 24, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree gradually raising the maximum age for those subject to conscription as reservists: senior officers can now be mobilized up to 70 years old.

In the fall of 2022, reservists became part of the "partially mobilized" and can now provide a faster increase in the number of people to participate in combat operations in Ukraine.

“The increased chance of being compelled to fight, drone attacks on Moscow, exceptional level of domestic repression, and the recent Wagner mutiny combine to highlight the Russian state's failure to insulate the population from the war,” the statement said.

• On July 31, it was reported that after the Armed Forces of Ukraine carried out another strike on the Chongar Bridge, which connects the mainland of Ukraine with the occupied Crimea, Russian "military commanders" demonstrated avoidance of this topic, which indicates its "inconvenience" for the Kremlin.