The Russian military is receiving reinforcements on the northern front in Belgorod: up to 48,000 soldiers are said to be stationed. What is Putin planning?
Belgorod - The Russian Ministry of Defense is providing interesting insights into its warfare: an operational, strategic group is said to be deployed in the north of Ukraine. Reinforcements in the Russian city of Belgorod sector of the northern front are expected to be up to 48,000 strong, the Defense Ministry
first mentioned in its daily updates on Sunday (April 14), according to the
Kyiv Post .
The name of the new unit provides an indication. “Sever” means north. On the ground, the new brigade, with the support of aviation and artillery, is said to have attacked personnel and equipment of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the areas of the settlements of Ternova and Hatishche in the Kharkiv region, the official statement said.
Former border guards strengthen Russia's northern sector
Currently, Russia has five confirmed operational strategic groups in Ukraine. These are also named after geographical features or cardinal points. There is the Center, South, West, East and Dnieper group. The latter was named after the Dnepr River, which flows through Russia, Belarus and Ukraine into the Black Sea.
The Russian military's communication cannot be independently verified. According to the Ukrainian information platform Information Resistance, 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 48,000 soldiers, between 350 and 360 tanks, up to 860 armored fighting vehicles, around 950 artillery systems and 120 units of multiple rocket launchers. 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.
Strategically interesting: Kharkiv is important because of its size and location
Reinforcing troops on the Russian side in the Belgorod region is strategically wise. 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 around Belgorod from attacking Kharkiv with drone strikes. The attacks on the city had recently increased. Kharkiv is strategically interesting primarily 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 and of great strategic and economic importance.
Ukraine has been defending itself against Russian invasion for more than two years. The troops under President Volodymyr Zelenskyj have been particularly successful in this in the north. After the Russian invasion, areas in the north were even able to be reconquered by Ukraine. Now Russia appears to be targeting the area again. The Ukrainian troops have been fortifying their border in the north for weeks.
(bg/dpa)