Russian troops mobilise to resurrect WWII-era 51st Army in Ukraine
The spokesperson for the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Col. Yuriy Povkh, claims that the Russians are mobilising elements of the 9th Motorised Rifle Brigade towards Kharkiv. Previously, the spokesperson for the Chortytsa force group, Nazar Voloshyn, announced that the 155th Pacific Fleet Marine Brigade had already been transferred to the 51st Army. Analysts from the American Institute for the Study of War write that the units have been assigned to the "resurrected 51st Army from World War II."
ISW analysts reached these conclusions based on statements by Povkh and Voloshyn. Povkh stated that Russian troops have transferred units from the Kherson region and other directions towards Kharkiv.
Transferring units to "compensate for heavy losses"
Voloshyn, in turn, reported that Russian troops intend to transfer parts of the 155th Pacific Fleet Marine Brigade and the 9th Motorised Rifle Brigade towards Kharkiv to "compensate for heavy losses."
"Statements from Ukrainian officials suggest that the Russian military may have subordinated the 9th Motorised Rifle Brigade to the possibly resurrected 51st Army from World War II" – wrote the analysts.
"The Russian army is undergoing significant reforms, including the creation of new combined military units at the army level, and references from Ukrainian sources about the 51st Army may be an early indicator that Russia has formed another combined military army to deploy in Ukraine" – adds ISW.
