 Degradation of elite forces will weaken Russia's ability to sustain complex defensive operations. The Russian military command continues to expend relatively elite Russian airborne forces by deploying these troops to defend vulnerable positions against Ukrainian counter-offensives. U.S. Institute for the Study of Worshed. Geolocated footage published on August 27 indicates that the Russian military command deployed elements of the Russian 76th Guards Air Assault Division to reinforce Russian positions near Robotin likely from the Kremlin area in Luhansk Oblast. Institute for the Study of War had previously observed that elements of almost all Russian Air Assault Division formations are operating in areas where Ukrainian forces are conducting counter-offensive operations, and this lateral redeployment further suggests that Russian forces may be using relatively elite units to reinforce critical sectors of the front line. Russian forces previously redeployed the 7th Guards Mountain Air Assault Division from Kursan Oblast to support Russian defenses in eastern and western Zaporizia Oblast and have transferred other Air Assault Division forces from Luhansk Oblast to defend against Ukrainian counter-offensives on Bakhmets Flanks. The Russian military command has consistently relied on Air Assault Division formations as both an offensive and a defensive force and they are likely degraded from their high operational tempo. The degradation of these forces will likely weaken Russia's ability to sustain complex defensive operations and almost certainly disrupt any Russian intent to resume offensive operations at scale, which have predominantly relied on relatively elite infantry that Russia now lacks.