Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Evening Standard
Evening Standard
World
David Bond

Vladimir Putin’s air force ‘struggling and turning to retired personnel to bolster airman numbers’

Vladimir Putin’s air force is struggling to support his invasion of Ukraine, British military chiefs said on Friday, with Russia forced to turn to retired personnel to bolster his troops.

In its latest intelligence update, the UK’s Ministry of Defence said the capture of a Russian pilot on June 17 - a former Major in the Russian air force who returned to action as a contractor with the Wagner Group - showed how Mr Putin’s forces were being stretched.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.