Ukraine at OSCE: Russian corps in Donbas larger than some European armies

The military power of two army corps created by Russia in the territory of “DPR” and “LPR” in eastern Ukraine exceed the armed forces of some European countries.

Head of the Main Directorate for International Cooperation and Verification of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Lieutenant General Leonid Holopatiuk made a corresponding statement during an online meeting of the OSCE Forum for Security Co-operation, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

"The creation of a group of Russian occupation troops in the temporarily occupied territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions as part of the 1st and 2nd Army Corps has led to the emergence of a large number of weapons and military equipment in eastern Ukraine," Holopatiuk said during a meeting on the implementation and modernization of the Vienna Document 2011 on confidence and security-building measures.

He stressed that a huge group of troops in the "grey zone" in the occupied territories of Donbas "is still not covered by the OSCE regime of arms control and confidence and security-building measures."

According to him, the operational strength of the 1st Army Corps, created on the territory of the "Donetsk People’s Republic", includes: 5 brigades (1st, 3rd, 5th separate motorized rifle brigades, 100th separate motorized rifle brigade of the "Republican Guard" and a separate artillery brigade); 3 separate regiments (11th separate motorized rifle regiment, 9th separate assault motorized rifle regiment of the marine corps and a separate commandant's regiment); 10 separate battalions (divisions).

The operational strength of the 2nd Army Corps, created on the territory of the "Luhansk People’s Republic", includes: 4 brigades (2nd, 4th, 7th separate motorized rifle brigades and a separate artillery brigade); 2 regiments (6th separate motorized rifle regiment and separate commandant's regiment); 6 separate battalions (divisions).

"About 35 thousand servicepersons serve in the 1st and 2nd army corps. These army corps have 481 units of battle tanks, 914 units of armored combat vehicles, 720 units of artillery systems and 202 units of multiple rocket launcher systems in the uncontrolled territories of Donbas," the Head of the Main Directorate for International Cooperation and Verification of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said.

At the same time, the command and staff posts, as well as positions of scarce specialities in the 1st (Donetsk) and 2nd (Luhansk) army corps, are occupied by personnel of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation with a total number of about 650 people.

In addition, there are units of operational / combat and logistical support, military advisers, instructors of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation in the temporarily occupied territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Their total number is up to 2,100 Russian servicepersons.

To maintain constant tension on the contact line and to ensure the viability of the 1st and 2nd army corps, the ammunition and combustive and lubricating materials are supplied from the territory of the Russian Federation through uncontrolled areas of the state border of Ukraine.

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