Russia is resorting to less-precise weapons that cause major damage, intelligence agencies say.

While Ukraine is badly outgunned and has been making desperate pleas for the West to speed up the delivery of heavy weapons, Russia also appears to be running low on precision missiles — but unlike the Ukrainians, the Russians can turn to other powerful weapons systems.

Britain’s Defense Ministry said on Saturday that a shortage of precision weapons had led the Russians to resort to inefficient weapons systems that are less precise but can still cause major damage, including significant civilian casualties. Since April, Russian bombers appear to have hit land-based targets with dozens of 1960s-era six-ton missiles designed to destroy aircraft carriers, the ministry said.

The assessment came amid reports by Ukrainian military intelligence in recent days that some Russian units in the Donbas region are composed of “forcibly mobilized personnel” and are refusing to participate in combat there. Read more

@nytimes