Russian forces ill-prepared for war - UK defence sources

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Russian forces ill-prepared for war - UK defence sources

British defence sources have told the BBC that Russian troops had been ill-prepared for the war in Ukraine. "They really did think they were conducting military exercises not preparing for an invasion," one said.

One source said President Putin thought he had the army he had seen at Moscow's annual Victory Day Parade, but "the army on parade ground has not turned out to be an army made for battle".

Earlier this week the UK defence secretary, Ben Wallace, accused President Putin of betraying his troops "by sticking them down roads to be killed and abandoned in the cold".

Russian troops, he said, had been left in a place where "potentially thousands could be killed".

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