A newly formed Russian military force presents challenges to Ukraine.
Russian soldiers have been progressing in the Ukrainian territory of Kharkiv since last Friday. These units are linked to a new Russian military team known as Sever, which is thought to be operationally significant by analysts.
Since early Friday morning, Russian forces have initiated assaults in the Ukrainian border region of Kharkiv. As reported, Sever is a recently established Russian military division. George Barros, an analyst from the American think tank Institute for the Study of War (ISW), describes Sever as "operationally significant."
Barros speculates that Moscow is attempting to amass between 60,000 and 100,000 soldiers for an attack on Kharkiv, the second-largest city in Ukraine. However, he estimates that the actual number of soldiers involved might be closer to 50,000. Despite this, the force is highly capable, and Barros suggests that a direct attack on Kharkiv is not anticipated at this time.
Instead, it's possible that Russia is aiming to compel Kiev to shift troops from the east to the north. By diluting Ukraine's defenses, Russia hopes to reveal fresh vulnerabilities. Barros asserts that the Donetsk region is Russia's most crucial operational goal for 2024.
Barros estimates that the ISW has only observed a small number of combat troops deployed in the Kharkiv region so far. Ukrainian war bloggers have also reported the presence of two companies from the 7th motorized rifle regiment, two battalions from the 18th motorized rifle brigade, parts of the 30th motorized rifle regiment, and battalions from the 128th motorized rifle brigade.
Kovalenko, a military observer from Ukraine, states that Russia has approximately 2,000 soldiers in the combat zone, with another 1,500-2,000 troops ready for immediate deployment. At least 20 Russian military vehicles have been destroyed since Friday, and Russia is mainly focusing on advancing with infantry, according to the ISW. Analysts predict that the Kremlin will escalate its operations in the coming days.
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Source: www.ntv.de
