Underestimation of Ukrainian resistance prevented Putin from claiming “victory" at 9 May parade - Defence Ministry of the UK

Russia's underestimation of the Ukrainian opposition and its " the best scenario" plan led to obvious operational mistakes that prevented Putin from announcing military success in Ukraine at the parade on May 9.

It’s likely that Russia's invasion plan was based on the erroneous assumption that it would meet a weak resistance and be able to quickly seize and bypass the settlements. This is the subject of the UK Department of State's daily report, published in Twitter. 

"This assumption prompted the Russian forces to try to conduct the initial phase of the operation with a light and precise approach designed to achieve a quick victory at minimal cost," the officials said. 

This miscalculation has led to irreparable losses and a further relaxation of the Russian Federation's operational attention. 

We remind that Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis told the Associated Press that the frowning faces of Russian generals at the parade in Moscow are a sign of failure in the war against Ukraine. The head of the Foreign Ministry believes that removing Russian President Vladimir Putin from power and changing the regime in Russia is the only way to protect the West and allies from future threats from Moscow. 

British Minister of Defence Ben Wallace saw "signs of despair" in Putin's speech at the Kremlin parade .