Russia could still be 'serious threat' to Ukraine - despite mobilisation 'problems'
Russia can reconstitute itself as a "serious threat" to Ukraine in future despite the "severe" problems it faces in mobilising troops, a US-based thinktank has said.
The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reports that top Ukrainian official Oleksiy Hromov said Russian mobilisation efforts are "stagnating" as people grow more aware of the rate of Russian casualties in the war.
According to the ISW, Mr Hromov - the chief of the main operational directorate of the Ukrainian General Staff - said the Volgograd region of Russia has only met 7% of its recruitment quota, while in Saratov, the figure has only reached 14%.
He also said Moscow is creating "alternative" private military companies to fill the gaps - but said they "will not be as powerful" as the Wagner mercenary group "in the near future".
However, Ukraine and its allies "must not underestimate Russian force generation capabilities in the long run for a protracted war of attrition", the official said.
The thinktank has previously made similar warnings.
But it said the Kremlin has not yet undertaken the "necessary reorganisation of its war effort to effectively leverage economies of scale to support large-scale Russian force generation".
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Hivi Vita vimegeuka 'war of attrition' kwa pande zote wakati vilianza kama war of occupation kwa Urusi.
Warusi walishakosea toka awali.
