Prior to a major offensive, Russia and Ukraine, according to Mandre, intend to target each other's equipment and logistics sites. According to him, the Ukrainians are attempting to disrupt the supply chain of the Russian army.

"The offensive in Ukraine requires a huge amount of resources, ammunition, fuel from the defensive side: during the defensive action the Russian resource consumption will increase exponentially. In order for them to run a deficit, run out of ammunition, run out of fuel, they are attempting to destroy the logistical chain prior to the attack," Mandre said.

Throughout the war, he said, the Russians have also attacked Ukrainian logistics. "This usually remains unknown because the Ukrainians do not disclose information about their casualties. This would inform the opposing side about the impact of their attacks and how to proceed," Mandre explained.

Mandre said that the Russians have learned from their logistical failures, and that since the beginning of the war, no significant logistical problems that would halt their war machine have been identified.

"They have been able to adapt relatively quickly to the varying demands of the battlefield and equip their units to at least the bare minimum," he said.

The deployment of Ukrainian HIMARS missile systems has had a significant effect on the logistics of Russian troops.

"HIMARS' introduction had a significant impact on Russian logistics. They were forced to rebuild their entire supply chain. All intermediary transfer stations, where weapons and ammunition were reloaded onto trucks and sent to the front, had to be relocated away from the HIMARS' firing range. This put pressure on their ground transportation, requiring significantly more trucks for their daily supplies and making their supply difficult for them to get," Mandre said.

"However, in the grand scheme, they have overcome their obstacles. Although our estimates indicate that the number of frontline units has decreased, but they are still operational," he said.

If the Ukrainians were able to cut off Russia's land access to Crimea, the Kerch Bridge would become exponentially more vital for Crimea's supply.

"Without the Kerch Bridge, the entire Crimean peninsula could only be served by air or sea. This would be far more difficult than traveling by car or train," Mandre said.

According to Mandre, the Russian military's medical service is its greatest weakness.

"Their battlefield medicine falls short of modern expectations. They are losing a lot of people as a result of bad medical care. And it's not simply casualties on the battlefield," Mandre said.

"They suffer substantially more non-military losses due to illness and psychological issues as a result of poor medicine," he said. "Failure to effectively manage their medical system will also have a significant impact on the combat readiness and capability of the soldiers."

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