Ukrainian Military Command: Russia deploying three assault divisions on the border with Ukraine
Russia has augmented its military presence on the border with Ukraine, deploying three assault motorized rifle divisions, reported the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) on Facebook page.
“The organizational staff structure, armament and military equipment, which are coming in, is an evidence that these Russian divisions are essentially assault divisions, intended to carry out rapid aggressive actions,” the post cites Viktor Muzhenko, Chief of the General Staff and Commander-in-Chief of the AFU as saying.
In July 2016, during a speech at the College of the Russian Defense Ministry, Defense Minister Sergey Shoygu spoke about the escalation of the military and political situation in the south-west strategic area “in recent years”.
“This is primarily related to the increase in NATO’s military presence in Eastern Europe, the situation in Ukraine and the activity of international terrorist groups, even in North Caucasus,” Shoygu stated. “Under these circumstances we need to take the adequate reactive measures,” the defense minister noted.
He added that during recent times “four divisions, nine brigades and 22 regiments” had been formed, including two missile brigades armed with Iskander-M systems. Shoygu emphasized that this would make it possible to “enhance the capacity for destroying a potential opponent”.
In January 2016, Shoygu said that the Russian Armed Forces would create three new divisions in the western area. He then called it the “most important objective” and added that it would also be necessary to create new training grounds, equipment storage facilities and staff living quarters.
Later in January 2016, Colonel General Oleg Salyukov, Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Ground Forces said that Russia was reinforcing the forces on the western and central regions with four new divisions. He said that this measure was a response to the increase in NATO drills.
“Forming new divisions is one of the measures in response to the increase in the intensity of NATO-states’ exercises which has been observed in recent times,” General Salyukov said. He also noted that three of the divisions would be created in the western area and one in the central.