The Russian military leadership appears to be increasingly shifting responsibility for offensive actions in Ukraine to the Russian Airborne Forces (Airborne Forces), the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) writes in its latest assessment of the war in Ukraine.

ISW’s claim follows reports that VDV commander Colonel-General Mykhailo Teplinsky has returned to a “primary” but unspecified role in the military offensive in Ukraine after Moscow’s Defense Ministry reportedly replaced him in January following a dispute with the head of the Russian Valery Gerasimov of the General Staff.

His appointment also indicates that the Russian Defense Ministry wants to work more closely with Wagner’s mercenary group to complete the capture of the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, ISW said in its assessment. The head of “Wagner” Evgeny Prigozhin supported Teplinsky during his dismissal in January.

What else the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) assesses in its latest war update:

• The Russian Ministry of Defense and Yevgeny Prigozhin publicly acknowledged on April 11 that Airborne Forces units were involved in the fighting in the Bakhmut area and that they held the Wagner flanks north and south of Bakhmut while the Wagner continued its main attack inside the city.
• ISW recently observed elements of the 106th VDV Division operating in the Bakhmut area. At the same time, in recent days, Prigozhin has reduced his frank rhetorical attacks on the Ministry of Defense.
• Russian military bloggers reported that Wagner’s forces were using T-90 tanks in Bakhmut, suggesting that Russian leaders had allocated more modern means to Wagner to capture the city.
• Thus, Teplinsky’s return is also an attempt by the Russian Ministry of Defense to find a better position to cooperate with Wagner to complete the task of conquering Bakhmut.

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