Elite Russian units wasted in defense, which weakens their ability to attack – ISW

The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reports it.

On August 27, geolocated footage revealed that the Russian military command dispatched units of the Russian 76th Guards Air Assault (VDV) Division to reinforce Russian positions near Roboyne. These reinforcements are likely coming from the Kreminna district of the Luhansk region.

Earlier, ISW experts had observed that Russian forces moved the 7th Guards Mountain VDV Division from the Kherson region to bolster the Russian defense in the Zaporizhzhia region. Additionally, other VDV forces were redeployed from the Luhansk region to prevent Ukrainian counterattacks on the flanks of Bakhmut.

The Russian military had been relying on VDV formations for offensive actions, but these units appear to have suffered from operational strain, potentially leading to a decrease in their effectiveness. This degradation of forces could weaken the Russian military's capability to conduct intricate defensive operations. It's also likely to undermine any plans Russia might have for resuming large-scale offensives, which have heavily depended on VDV units, a resource that the Russian Federation is currently lacking.

• Notably, on August 28, the Ministry of Defense officially confirmed the liberation of the village of Robotyne in the Zaporizhzhia region. 

• Over the course of the day, the occupying forces sustained approximately 490 casualties, bringing their total losses to more than 251,000 soldiers.