Russia likely form another army for deployment to Ukraine - ISW

Russia has likely formed another combined arms army for deployment to Ukraine.

This is said in a report by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), according to Ukrinform.

As noted, Ukrainian Kharkiv Group of Forces Spokesperson Colonel Yuriy Povkh stated on June 23 that the Russian military intends to transfer elements of the "9th Motorized Rifle Brigade of the 51st Army" to the Kharkiv direction. According to him, Russian forces have transferred Russian units from the Kherson region and other unspecified directions to the Kharkiv direction.

In addition, Ukrainian Khortytsia Group of Forces Spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Nazar Voloshyn similarly reported on June 25 that Russian forces intend to transfer elements of the 155th Naval Infantry Brigade (Pacific Fleet) and the "9th Motorized Rifle Brigade of the 51st Army" to the Kharkiv direction to compensate for heavy Russian losses.

ISW recently observed reports that the Russian military transferred elements of the 155th Naval Infantry Brigade and 9th Motorized Rifle Brigade (1st Donetsk People's Republic Army Corps) from west and southwest of Donetsk City to the Kharkiv direction but has not observed any reporting on the Russian "51st Army."

ISW assesses that the Ukrainian officials' statements suggest that the Russian military may have subordinated the 9th Motorized Rifle Brigade to the possibly resurrected Second World War-era "51st Army."

“The Russian military is currently undergoing large-scale reforms, however, including the creation of new combined arms army level formations, and Ukrainian sources' references to a ‘51st Army’ may constitute an early indicator that Russia has formed another combined arms army for deployment to Ukraine,” ISW experts said.

As reported by Ukrinform, ISW analyzed data on the recent missile attack on Crimea, concluding that the population of the occupied peninsula was affected by the work of Russian air defense, rather than a Ukrainian targeting decision.

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