According to estimates by British intelligence services, Moscow has suffered heavy losses from an elite unit of the armed forces. The Marines of the 155th Brigade had been tasked with some of the toughest missions in the Ukraine war and had "extremely high casualty figures," the British Ministry of Defense said in its daily briefing on Sunday.

This published a satellite image that is said to show a cluster of destroyed Russian military vehicles south-east of the embattled Ukrainian city of Wuhledar. According to the British, these are said to come from the elite unit that recently played a central role in the Russian offensive.

The skills and clout of the marines are said to have deteriorated significantly. The British explained that the high losses had been compensated for with significantly less experienced troops. This limits Moscow's ability to act. Nevertheless, it is realistic to assume that the units would be used again in new attacks near Wuhledar.

The British Ministry of Defense has published daily information on the course of the war since the start of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine a year ago, citing intelligence information. In doing so, the British government wants to both counter the Russian portrayal and keep allies in line. Moscow accuses London of a disinformation campaign.