The UK’s Defense Ministry reports in its intelligence update a dramatic increase in the number of artificial limbs issued in Russia, suggesting rising battlefield injuries and growing strain on the country’s medical services.

Massive rise in prosthetics issued across Russia

Open-source data cited by the Ministry’s 17 June update points to a 53% increase in artificial limbs issued in Russia in 2024 compared to the previous year. The figures, reportedly sourced from Russia’s Ministry of Labor, indicate that around 152,500 prosthetic limbs were provided to individuals with disabilities last year. Notably, arm prosthetics saw a 75% surge in issuance. During the same period, wheelchair distribution also climbed by 18%, reflecting a broader rise in mobility-related disability cases.

Independent reports expose systemic treatment delays

The update referred to earlier reporting by the independent Russian media outlet Verstka. According to that report, Russian soldiers with amputated limbs had been left waiting for extended periods before receiving necessary prosthetics.

UK intelligence points to medical system strain

UK Defense Intelligence assessed that Russia is “almost certainly failing to provide necessary combat medical treatment at the front line.” The update noted that this failure contributes to “a greater number of serious long-term injuries amongst Russian soldiers.” It also stated that the significant rise in the number of Russian men with disabilities, along with other wounded personnel, “will almost certainly have a detrimental long-term impact on both medical and social services in Russia.”

Today, there are a lot of interesting updates from the Kupiansk direction. Here, along the Oskil River near Kupiansk, Ukrainian special forces just carried out one of the boldest operations of the war.

In a surprise helicopter raid deep behind Russian lines, they landed undetected and tore through dugouts, safe houses, and staging zones, shattering Russian preparations before their offensive could even begin.

Hidden danger of Kharkiv Oblast town

The Russian forces in this area maintain a very thin bridgehead on the west bank of the Oskil River, where the control of the town of Dvorichna allows them to accumulate and deploy forces across the river.

Russians plan to use this bridgehead to tactically outflank Ukrainian forces in Kupiansk from the north, as well as to use it as a launching pad to link up with their other offensive in Kharkiv.

The Ukrainians understand that the Dvorichna bridgehead will be a key staging ground for the Russian summer offensive in Kharkiv, and know that they must act quickly to undermine any future Russian effort here.

The flaw in the river

The primary Russian weakness here is that their forces must cross the Oskil River by boat to reach their bridgehead on the western bank, which significantly complicates their logistics. This prevents them from deploying large numbers of heavy weapons such as anti-tank guided missiles or MANPADS.

The lack of man-portable air defenses makes the Russian bridgehead highly vulnerable to any aerial operations that the Ukrainians could conduct.

Subsequently, the Ukrainian special operations forces command devised a daring and unconventional plan, to conduct the first air assault operation in the war in over three years.

They planned to fly over Russian lines and deploy several teams of special forces in the rear of the enemy, where they would conduct raids, gather intelligence, and direct fire onto concealed Russian deployment points.

Ghosts in the trees

The Ukrainian Special Forces involved in this operation were deployed using American UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters, flying low to avoid being detected by the Russians.

Penetrating deep behind Russian lines, the helicopters were able to land and dismount several dozen Ukrainian operators before returning safely to friendly territory.

Once on the ground, the Ukrainian troops moved quickly and with purpose. After reaching their targets, they launched a series of highly effective and deadly raids against Russian forces. They cleared forest belts and residential areas of enemy soldiers who had been preparing to cross the river.

Russian troops were caught completely off guard, never expecting an attack from their rear. Several dugouts were quickly encircled, and numerous Russian soldiers were captured in the confusion.

Taking full advantage of surprise and terrain, Ukrainian operators concealed themselves in forested areas, waiting for small Russian infantry groups that were either sent to find them, or were moving to new positions completely unaware.

These ambushes were swift and lethal, as the Ukrainians eliminated enemy soldiers at point-blank range using small arms, all while remaining undetected in the dense cover of the forest.

The escape corridor

The high level of coordination and preparation of the Ukrainian forces included several armored vehicles, meant to arrive near a designated exfil point to quickly evacuate the operators. This point was chosen carefully, as it had the least amount of frontline activity, and no Russian bridgehead, making it the safest route for the job.

The Ukrainians moved through the dense forests behind the Dvorichna bridgehead and avoided areas with larger concentrations of Russian soldiers.

The Ukrainian special operators, with intelligence gained from captured Russians, enabled the Ukrainian drone operators to identify large Russian strongholds standing in the way of the Ukrainian exfiltration.

Artillery crews and heavy drone bombers were deployed, leading to the decimation of these Russian troops.

This focused fire established a corridor for the Ukrainian special forces to safely traverse the forests and reach the western bank of the river, where MaxPro armored vehicles awaited to exfiltrate them back to safety.

Operators left behind: the shadow war begins

Overall, the Ukrainians achieved the impossible, carrying out the war’s first air assault operation in over three years, allowing them to strike deep into Russian-held territory, inflict serious losses, and gather critical intelligence.

Notably, it is highly likely that not all Ukrainian operators exfiltrated from behind Russian lines.

According to special forces doctrine, these operators will be able to gather intelligence, set up and train further resistance networks, and conduct a deadly guerrilla warfare with sabotage and liquidations of top Russian commanders.

Russia is going to go all-in this summer, and the Ukrainians are positioning themselves to take every advantage they can to repulse it.

In our daily frontline report, we pair up with the military blogger Reporting from Ukraine to keep you informed about what is happening on the battlefield in the Russo-Ukrainian war.

Russia’s mobilization reserve may include as many as 25 million people — those with military obligations or past service — from its total population of 145 million. However, only about 3 million of them are considered properly trained and combat-capable, according to the head of Ukraine’s Foreign Intelligence Service.

Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022, the country has mobilized 1.3 million people, while sustaining nearly one million casualties in killed and wounded, said Ukraine’s Foreign Intelligence Service chief Oleh Ivashchenko in an interview with Ukrinform.

“Russia has approximately 145 million inhabitants. The mobilization resource consists of 25 million people. These are those who have relevant military registration or related specialties. And these are the labor resources that drive the economy. But only 3 million are actually trained,” Ivashchenko said.

Ivashchenko also detailed significant constraints in Russia’s defense production capabilities.

“They are trying to reach maximum output, but it’s difficult for them. They need investments, machine tools, components, and there are problems with this. Electronics and specialized chemistry are particularly challenging,” Ivashchenko stated.

The Foreign Intelligence head also revealed that 80% of Russia’s current military equipment consists of older systems with reduced capabilities, retrieved from storage facilities, repaired, and deployed to combat zone, while only 20% represents modern military systems.

Regarding ammunition production, Russia manufactures approximately 3 million artillery shells of 122mm and 152mm caliber annually. The country supplements this domestic production with 2.5 to 3 million additional shells from North Korea each year.

Ivashchenko reported that Russia has acquired 6 million shells from North Korea since the full-scale war began. North Korea has also provided military hardware including 120 units of 170mm M1989 Koksan self-propelled artillery systems and 120 units of M1991 240mm multiple rocket launcher systems.

Earlier, Dutch military intelligence warned that Russia is producing significantly more artillery than needed for its war in Ukraine, with support from other countries, and is moving new military units toward NATO borders, especially in the Baltic states and Finland. Dutch officials stressed that, while an immediate attack is not expected, Europe must prepare for the possibility of future Russian aggression.

Recently, US intelligence also indicated that Russian President Putin is prepared to continue the war against Ukraine through at least the end of 2025, viewing the conflict as central to his personal legacy and the future of his regime.

Despite significant losses and international sanctions, Putin is determined to achieve his objectives in Ukraine and shows no signs of willingness to negotiate a meaningful peace. The Kremlin is mobilizing resources and adapting its strategy to sustain military operations, while also intensifying efforts to undermine Western support for Ukraine through propaganda, cyberattacks, and political interference.