Short Of Troops, Russia Deploys Mercenaries To Front Lines To Resist Ukrainian Counterattacks

Wagner Group mercenaries. (Source: ssu.gov.ua)

JAKARTA - Britain's Ministry of Defense says Russia is deploying mercenaries to the frontlines to contain a Ukrainian counter-offensive in the south, a sign Moscow is short of infantry troops.

A greater reliance on mercenary fighters from the private Russian military firm Wagner Group for front-line duties rather than their usual work in special operations would be another sign the Russian military is under pressure six months into its war in Ukraine.

However, the UK Ministry of Defense said in an intelligence update that Wagner's mercenaries were unlikely to make up for the loss of regular infantry units or change the trajectory of the Russian invasion.

"This is a significant change from the group's previous work since 2015, when it usually carried out missions that differed from regular large-scale Russian open military activity," the ministry said on Twitter.

Neither the Wagner Group nor the Kremlin were immediately available for comment outside of regular business hours.

Earlier, officials in Kyiv said on Wednesday they had observed a "massive redeployment" of Russian troops to the south where British defense officials believe the Russian 49th Army, stationed on the west bank of the Dnipro River, is vulnerable.

The southern city of Kherson, a key Russian overland supply route from Russia's annexed Crimea, is now virtually cut off from other Russian-occupied territories, British intelligence said Thursday.

The Kherson region fell to Russian forces soon after they started what Moscow called a "special military operation" on February 24. Ukraine described the Russian invasion as an imperial-style war of conquest.

It is understood the Ukrainian military has used Western-supplied long-range missile systems to damage three bridges on the Dnipro in recent weeks, making it difficult for Russia to supply its troops on the west bank.

Ukraine's counterattack in the south comes as Russia continues to struggle for control of the entire Donbas industrial region in the east, which comprises the provinces of Donetsk and Lugansk.