Skibitskyi: Russia has concentrated 470 thousand troops in Ukraine
The ground component of Russian troops on the territory of Ukraine is about 470 thousand people. In addition, the number of troops to cover the Russian borders in Belgorod, Kursk and Bryansk regions before the “elections” in Russia has increased.
This was stated by the Deputy Chief of the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine, Major General Vadym Skibitskyi in an interview with Interfax-Ukraine.
– “If we talk about what has changed during this time, it is the size of the group deployed on our territory. Currently, the land component, the land part of the grouping located on the territory of Ukraine, is about 470 thousand soldiers. And this is only the land component, I do not include aviation, we do not count the navy, which is also involved in operations, in strikes,” he said.
Strengthening the Rosgvardia
According to him, the Russians also have a new component – a grouping of Rosgvardia troops, which at the beginning of the full-scale Russian aggression was only partially represented in the form of battalions.
– Today, a grouping of Rosgvardia troops is deployed in the temporarily occupied territories. This is almost 33 thousand soldiers. These are the people who ensure the activities of the occupation authorities, protect strategic facilities and, if necessary, can perform defense tasks in the temporarily occupied territories,” explained Skibitskyi.
Strengthening the borders with Ukraine
The deputy chief of the Defense Intelligence says that over the two years of full-scale war, the Russians have also strengthened the so-called “cover” groups of the Russian state border. Skibitsky says that these enemy forces are located in the Russian regions bordering Ukraine: Belgorod, Kursk, and Bryansk. According to the intelligence officer, the Russians are making such decisions out of fear that Ukrainians will be more active and conduct operations in the respective Russian territories.
– Perhaps this is necessary: to move the war to the territory of Russia. They have concentrated a group of about 30,000 troops there. Recently, they have also been reinforced by units of the 116th Brigade of the Russian Guard, which has been redeployed. Three battalions were transferred from our Mariupol to the territory of the Belgorod region. As they also admit, in order to guarantee the security and holding of the elections of the ever-living Putin. These are the changes that have mostly occurred in the number of the land component,” said Major General.
The Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Federation
According to the Deputy Chief of the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine, an important change over the years of the full-scale invasion is the isolation of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, as well as all enemy ships stationed in Novorossiysk.
– They can only enter Sevastopol to replenish ammunition, reload, or, if necessary, when they are on combat duty. Otherwise, all the activity of the Black Sea Fleet is off the coast of Crimea or in the eastern part of the Black Sea. Today we have fully ensured the ability to control in terms of fire, the ability to strike at the Black Sea Fleet if it enters the northwestern part. And this gave us the opportunity to resume the work of the sea corridor,” he explains.
Additionally, Skibitsky points out that Ukraine has completely violated Russia’s strategic plans that the Kremlin had at the beginning of the full-scale invasion, namely, to completely occupy Ukraine. This was also due to the fact that during the years of the great war, many territories were liberated, which Russia had been counting on from the very beginning of the aggression.
