Russia apparently wants to set up new brigades in Ukraine. The next attack on Armenia threatens here – the situation in 5 points

Russia apparently wants to set up new brigades in Ukraine, reports the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), citing the Russian newspaper “Izvestia”. According to internal sources of the Russian army, these would be reconnaissance and assault brigades in combined armies and newly formed army corps. They are already recruiting men for this task. The information cannot be independently verified.

As “Izvestia” reports, in the future the units of assault troops will be able to break through the layered defense of the Ukrainian army. The reconnaissance troops, on the other hand, must be deployed for reconnaissance in “tactical depth” at the front. The main target appears to be the Ukrainian army’s positions in Donetsk and Luhansk. Each of the brigades must also be equipped with tanks, lightly armored vehicles, artillery and various drones.

The reason for the new formation is apparently that the Russian military is under increasing pressure to showcase the Kremlin’s successes: Ukraine has been steadily pursuing its counter-offensive against the Russian-occupied territories in recent weeks and has been able to achieve some successes. For example, the Ukrainian army reported the liberation of the village of Robotyne or a breakthrough near Werbowe in Zaporizhia. This is probably why Russian President Vladimir Putin recently issued an ultimatum to his Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu.

ISW experts doubt whether the plan will be implemented

And a colonel in the Russian army also puts it this way: For Russia, the course of the war against Ukraine has underlined the “need for specialized units for storming fortified areas,” said Valery Yuryev, chairman of the Russian Paratroopers Association, “ Izvestia ”. Accordingly, “separate attack units and formations are necessary” for the Russian army.

However, the question is whether Russia can actually set this up. “It remains unclear how Russia’s force generation apparatus will be able to recruit, train and man brigade, army or army corps formations,” the ISW experts say, pointing to the mobilization challenges the Russian military has recently faced.

Conclusions can be drawn from the methods the Kremlin recently used to search for men for its war of aggression against Ukraine: in addition to prisoners, mentally ill men were also called upon to volunteer. Russia also apparently does not shy away from recruiting fighters abroad.