Russia suffers devastating losses: UK intel

Russia appears to have suffered devastating losses amongst mid- and junior-ranking officers in its conflict with Ukraine, raising the prospect of weaker military effectiveness in future, Britain's defence ministry said yesterday.

Brigade and battalion commanders were probably deploying to the most dangerous positions while junior officers have had to lead low-level tactical actions, the ministry said on Twitter in its latest Defence Intelligence update.

"With multiple credible reports of localised mutinies amongst Russia's forces in Ukraine, a lack of experienced and credible platoon and company commanders is likely to result (in) a further decrease in morale and continued poor discipline," it said.

The loss of younger officers was likely to exacerbate Russia's problems in modernising its military command and control, the ministry said.

"More immediately, battalion tactical groups which are being reconstituted in Ukraine from survivors of multiple units are likely to be less effective due to a lack of junior leaders," it said.

Russian forces yesterday intensified attacks to capture Sievierodonetsk, a key city in Ukraine's southeastern Donbas region which Moscow is targeting having failed to take the capital Kyiv early in the war, reports Reuters.

Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Sunday denied speculation that President Vladimir Putin was ill, saying there were no signs pointing to any ailment.

Putin's health and private life are taboo subjects in Russia, and are almost never discussed in public, reports AFP.

Answering a question from France's broadcaster TF1, Russia's top diplomat said: "I don't think that sane people can see in this person signs of some kind of illness or ailment."

Lavrov said that Putin, who will turn 70 in October, appeared in public "every day".

"You can watch him on screens, read and listen to his speeches," Lavrov said in comments released by the Russian foreign ministry.

"I leave it to the conscience of those who spread such rumours."

Moscow's offensive has killed thousands of people, sparked the biggest refugee crisis in Europe since World War II and led to unprecedented Western sanctions against Moscow.