Six months after Vladimir Putin announced the special military operation in Ukraine, Moscows commanders are said to be facing a dilemma. An intelligence update suggests they must choose between pursuing an offensive in the Donbas or to focus on defence in the south of Ukraine.

The UK Ministry of Defence this morning reported: Over the last 24 hours, heavy fighting has taken place on three fronts: in the north, near Kharkiv; in the east in the Donbas; and in the south in Kherson Oblast.

Russias planned main effort is probably an advance on Bakhmut in the Donbas.

But commanders face a dilemma of whether to deploy operational reserves to support this offensive, or to defend against continued Ukrainian advances in the south.

Intelligence officials at the British body added multiple concurrent threats over a large area will test Russias ability to coordinate operational design.

This will relate not only to the designation of troops but of resources.

Military economist Marcus Keupp today told German broadcaster NTV that in a year at the latest, the Russian army will have no more tans if the rate of attrition continues at this rate.

He said: Russia still has artillery superiority.

But within a month, the scale could be roughly tied between Russia and Ukraine with regards to arms.

READ MORE: Weakened Putin 'running out of weapons' - could be level with Ukraine

They said: Earlier in the war, Russias failure to do this was one of the underlying reasons for the militarys poor performance.

The success of Ukraines counterattacks could, however, rely on the ability of the West to continue supplying it with weaponry.

This ability becomes more strained by the week, as the Wests own supplies run dry.

A US defence official late last month told the Wall Street Journal that the level of military storage for certain combat resources are uncomfortably low.

Brad Martin, Director of the Institute for Supply Chain Secure at the Rand Corporation, added: Nations assume the risk that war is not going to take place, and have the assumption they can react when they need to.

It simply might not be true that you can ramp up [production quickly].

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Putin to be tested by Ukrainian counterattacks commanders face dilemma over focus - Express