The Russian Ministry of Defense is centralizing command and control over irregular forces, which is likely to facilitate their use in offensive operations in Ukraine, reports the UK Ministry of Defense. According to the report, in February 2023, the Russian military created its volunteer corps that united more than 20,000 mercenaries, reservists, and former prisoners serving in numerous irregular units under a single system of management and control. Since the volunteer corps was formed, irregulars have been increasingly used in offensive operations for which they are ill-suited. Russia’s irre…