Russian reservists forced to dig ‘ambitious’ trench system under fire suffer ‘heavy casualties’

Russian reservists are suffering “particularly heavy casualties” digging “ambitious trench systems” under artillery fire, according to British intelligence.

It was “highly likely… many are being compelled to serve with serious, chronic health conditions” while others “have been killed in large numbers” in frontal assaults into well-established Ukrainian defensive zones around the town of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine.

“Mobilised reservists have highly likely experienced particularly heavy casualties after being committed to dig ambitious trench systems while under artillery fire around the Luhansk Oblast town of Svatove,” a Ministry of Defence’s intelligence update said.

“In Donetsk Oblast, reservists have been killed in large numbers in frontal assaults into well-established Ukrainian defensive zones around the town of Bakhmut.”

It added the Kremlin would be concerned over growing dissent from reservists’ families two months after Vladimir Putin’s “partial mobilisation” announcement with their deployment “often characterised by confusion over eligibility for service, inadequate training and personal equipment, and commitment to highly attritional combat missions”.

Putin is on Friday set to meet with a selection of mothers of soldiers posted in Ukraine.

Follow the latest updates below.