In the middle of the Ukraine war: Moscow's Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu announces the restructuring of the Russian army - also on the border with Finland.
Munich/Moscow – After the alleged capture of Soledar in the Donbass – and many previous military setbacks – the Kremlin is once again reacting to the course of the Ukraine war so far.
War in Ukraine: Russia is rebuilding its army, according to Defense Minister Shoigu
This Tuesday (January 17), Russia's Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu announced that the Russian army would be restructured in order to implement the increase in troop levels demanded by the Kremlin.
Only through structural changes in the armed forces is it possible to guarantee Russia's security, Shoigu explained at a meeting of the Defense Ministry.
Against the background of the Russian war of aggression against western neighbor Ukraine, Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin announced shortly before New Year's Eve that he would increase the number of soldiers from 1.15 to 1.5 million.
According to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), the Ukrainian secret service even expects the Russian army to increase to two million soldiers.
There are "serious preparations for a possible second wave of mobilization," writes the ISW of the assessment from Kyiv.
Are these signs of another major Russian offensive on the Ukrainian capital or in the east of the country?
In the video: Compact - The most important news about the Russia-Ukraine war
According to Shoigu, at least two large territorial units are to be created that will combine several arms: the Moscow and Leningrad military districts.
Independent military units are also to be set up in the Ukrainian areas annexed by Russia.
In addition, Shoigu announced the establishment of an army corps in the northern Russian republic of Karelia.
This could be a reaction to the planned NATO accession of the Scandinavian countries Sweden and Finland.
Karelia borders from Lake Ladoga north of the metropolis of St. Petersburg to the White Sea on the Finnish border.
It is a historically charged area: between November 1939 and March 1940, Karelia was the main theater of the Winter War between the Soviet Union and Finland (Soviet-Finnish War).
Ukraine War: Russian army faces numerous problems and shortcomings
The combat capability of the fleet, the air force and the missile forces should also be strengthened, Shoigu demanded.
The renewal of the structures should therefore be completed between 2023 and 2026.
Because of a large number of defeats in the war of aggression against Ukraine, the military leadership in Moscow is confronted with numerous problems and shortcomings that are now to be remedied.
On January 11, Russian President Putin had already appointed Chief of Staff Valery Gerasimov commander-in-chief of the troops in Ukraine.
(pm/dpa)