Russian volunteer fighters wield NATO gear in escalating border conflict

In the Russian regions of Kursk and Belgorod, Russian volunteers from paramilitary formations are increasingly active. Recordings appearing online show not only the effects of subsequent attacks, but also part of the arsenal available to warriors opposing the dictatorship of Vladimir Putin.

The Reuters agency reported that two Russian border regions have already turned into "zones of active combat". It is known they are led mainly by three formations - the Russian Volunteer Corps, the "Free Russia" Legion, and the Siberian Battalion. These groups are not only quite well-organised but also equipped with gear that allows for efficient movement and inflicting serious damage on the enemy.

Russian formations attack, among others, using FPV (ang. first person view) drones. These are usually just commercial drones of small size, to which explosive charges or grenades and bombs are attached. Such a solution is much cheaper and more accessible than drones prepared specifically for military purposes.

The war in Ukraine has shown that FPV drones are more than a tool of terror. In the hands of a skilled pilot (who sees the image in real-time thanks to special goggles), they can pose a real threat not only to people but also to buildings, cars, and even older and less armoured military vehicles. The mass of the load carried by such machines depends on the sizes of specific drones. Ukrainian soldiers have already proven earlier that such drones can carry, for example, anti-tank grenades RKG-3 or submunitions PTAB-2.5M without any problems.

To move quickly, Russian fighters mainly use pickups seen in the recordings, although they also have heavier equipment at their disposal. Particular attention was drawn to a recording showing the PT‑91 Twardy tank, which most likely once served in the Polish army.

The mentioned vehicle is a main battle tank produced in the 90s in our country, developed as a modernisation of the Soviet T-72. Over the years, its only users were Poland and Malaysia, and over time, Ukraine joined, which received several dozen PT-91 Twardy tanks as part of support from Warsaw. It is not clear where the paramilitary formations attacking in Russia got such a tank in their ranks, and information on this subject will probably never be officially provided.

The PT-91 Twardy has considerable capabilities and, in many respects, is better than the original on which it was based. It has, among others, reactive armour ERAWA and added the Obra warning system and the Drawa fire control system. Furthermore, it is equipped with an engine with increased power from 780 hp to approximately 850 hp.

The use of heavier equipment by Russian fighters is also confirmed by the words of the governor of the Belgorod region, Vyacheslav Gladkov. He stated that "several rockets were shot down," but despite this, it was impossible to avoid destruction and explosions, including in the centre of Belgorod.

This is not the first time that the Belgorod region has been attacked by paramilitary formations opposing power in Moscow. In August last year, fighters from the "Free Russia" Legion and the Russian Volunteer Corps launched an offensive, which for the first time showed that their equipment is a mix of weapons from different parts of the world, also from NATO countries.

"The Washington Post" obtained information confirming that the fighters use, among others, rifles produced in Belgium and the Czech Republic. They also had anti-tank weapons on their equipment, such as AT-4 - Swedish grenade launchers, which are considered to be cheap, easy to use, and at the same time highly effective.

The discussed formations have also been in possession of armoured vehicles of the MRAP (ang. Mine Resistant Ambush Protected) type and wheeled versions of the BTR for a longer time. These last are most likely taken from the retreating Putin's troops.

The BTR is a family of armoured personnel carriers, which are mostly very outdated (wheeled versions along with BTR-60 were produced in the 60s), but they are still good at, for example, infantry transport. They have an 8x8 drive and reach a maximum speed of up to approximately 80 km/h (about 50 mph).