London — The war in Ukraine has been "exceptionally challenging for Russia's aerospace community," the British Ministry of Defence (MoD) tweeted from London on Sunday in its daily update on the war.
"The sector is struggling under international sanctions; highly trained specialists are being encouraged to serve as infantry in the Roscosmos space agency's own militia," it said referring to Russia's aerospace body.
It noted that the head of the Russian Aerospace Forces, General Sergei Surovikin, had not been seen since the abortive mutiny by the Wagner Group of mercenaries, for which he had served as "point of contact with the Russian Ministry of Defence."
Last week, Wagner troops occupied a southern Russian city then made for Moscow, after the paramilitary unit's chief accused Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and top general Valery Gerasimov of incompetence, blaming them for Russian battlefield failures in Ukraine.
The British MoD also noted that Russia had cancelled its MAKS international air show this year. The show, which showcases Russia's aerospace sectors for the export market, is held every two years.
It speculated that security concerns were behind the cancellation and said that MAKS could also suffer reputational damage if fewer international delegations attended. The show, one of the world's largest, is held at the Zhukovsky International Airport south-east of Moscow.
Moscow's dismisses the daily updates from London as anti-Russian propaganda.
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