Russian military is receiving reinforcements on the northern front in Belgorod. Up to 48,000 soldiers are said to be stationed.
Opposite on the Ukrainian side, around 30 kilometers away is the embattled metropolis of Kharkiv. The Ukrainian army has been trying for weeks to prevent Russian units in and aroundBelgorod from attacking KharkIV with drone strikes. The Russian military's communication cannot be independently verified. The new brigade is under the command of Colonel General Aleksandr Lapin. He has been chief of staff of the Russian ground forces since January 2023. The group was formed on the basis of the previous border guard group. According to the portal, the new force for the northern sector will consist of around 48,00 soldiers, between 350 and 360 tanks, up to 860 armored fighting vehicles, around 950 artillery systems and 120 units of multiple rocket launchers. It is strategically interesting because of its size and location: with around 1.5 million inhabitants, the city is the second largest in Ukraine, close to the Russian border.