Russia has not been able to “punch through” Ukraine’s defences, despite almost all of its army deployed in the war.
It comes as the Kremlin has intensified attacks across a swathe of southern and eastern Ukraine in recent weeks, and a major new offensive has been widely anticipated.
“That has come at a huge cost to the Russian army. We now estimate 97 per cent of the Russian army, the whole Russian army, is in Ukraine,” Ben Wallace told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.
Meanwhile, Russia claimed on Wednesday that they made a breakthrough in the eastern front of Luhansk.
Luhansk regional governor Serhiy Haidai said Russia was pouring heavy equipment and mobilised troops into Luhansk.
“The attacks are coming from different directions in waves,” Haidai said. But he added: “Those who spread the information that allegedly our defence forces have pulled back beyond the line of the administrative border (of Luhansk) – this does not correspond to reality.”
