Russia Regroups Forces on Ukraine's Border

Over the last three days, Russia has regrouped its forces in the border areas by pulling back some of the units that had been deployed along the frontier with Ukraine, Espreso TV reports, citing a Facebook posting by Dmitry Tymchuk, head of the Centre for Military and Political Studies.

Some units from the Rostov and Belgorod regions have returned to home bases, while others have been redeployed northwards to the Bryansk and Kursk regions. New units are arriving in those latter regions, as well.

Tymchuk says that as of the morning of March 29, there are just 10,000 Russian troops deployed right on the border with Ukraine. There are other units deployed within a zone 30 to 50 kilometres from the border but still in the immediate vicinity of Ukrainian territory; their numbers are still being calculated.

However, initial data indicate that the total number of Russian troops in border areas has fallen over the last day. There have also been minor alterations to the number of heavy weapons deployed immediately next to the border with Ukraine.

The following figures show weapons and hardware now located close to the border in all frontier areas from northeast to southeast Ukraine. The second figure given in brackets in each case is the number for March 24.

• Armoured vehicles (tanks and armoured personnel carriers): 720 (700)
• Artillery systems: 140 (150)
• Multiple rocket systems: 45 (100)
• Attack helicopters and planes: 230 (240)

Positive developments aside, Russia is still failing to state the purpose for which these forces are concentrated along the long border with Ukraine.

Figures for Crimea on March 29 are as follows. The second figure given in brackets is the number for March 19.

• Personnel: 22,000 (20,000)
• Armoured vehicles: 340 (300)
• Artillery systems: 110 (50)
• Multiple rocket systems: 25 (50)
• Attack helicopters and planes: 30 (30)

This article republished from Espreso TV with kind permission. Original article in Ukrainian.