Mass Media: Two Motorized Rifle Brigades Moved Near Western Russian Borders

Information about strengthening of the Russian troop reinforcements at the Western borders of Russia continues leaking into mass media.

After reports about moving into Bryansk region of the 28th detached motorized rifle brigade together with weapons and military equipment, sources inform that two motorized rifle brigades are deployed near the western border. Besides, three new divisions are to be organised, newsru.com reports.

As a source of Interfax informed about the situation reports, “alongside with organising three new divisions (two as a part of the Western Military District, and one within the boundaries of the Southern Military District), two independent motorized rifle brigades are additionally moved from central parts of the country to the western borders of Russia.”

As said by the source, redeployment from Yekaterinburg to Klintsy (Bryansk region) of the 28th Independent Motorized Rifle Brigade has started already. Besides, the 23th Independent Motorized Rifle Brigade is being redeployed from Samara to Valujki (Belgorod region).

The interlocutor of the agency noted that the measures for strengthening of the troop reinforcements in the western strategic direction are taken because of the increased activity of NATO in Eastern Europe. “Undoubtedly, these measures could be considered as a response to the growing activity of NATO near Russia’s borders,” – the source said.

At the same time, redeployment of the 28th Independent Motorized Rifle Brigade to Klintsy became known just recently. Local mass media informed about that, noting that the brigade had been moved from Yekaterinburg to Bryansk region for a permanent location. Besides, local dwellers posted pictures of special trains with weapons and military equipment, which had arrived to the city, on social networks.

Having analysed this information, a team of InformNapalm researchers has come to a conclusion that Russia is deploying new military bases along the Belarusian border, thus establishing its defence line on the way from Moscow to Minsk to be safe. The Kremlin called such presentation of a problem as a build-up at the Russian-Belarusian border absurd, at the same time not excluding that movement of certain military units is taking place inside the country.

On May 4 at a ministry’s teleconference Russia’s Defence Minister Sergey Shoigu informed that in order to counteract NATO’s build-up near Russian borders, Russia is to organise two new divisions in the Western Military District and one in the South one. The head of the Defence Minister noted then, that infrastructure development at the places of new units’ location was carried out. As TASS noted, every division would have about 10,000 military each. Establishing new units was announced by Shoigu back in January 2016.

On the same day an informed source told Interfax that by the end of the year - 2016 the Russian troops grouping in the western strategic direction would be stepped up thanks to forming three new motorized rifle divisions with their home stations in Yelnya (Smolensk region), Voronezh and Rostov regions. “At the moment a process of organizing three divisions is taking place. New bodies of troops are to be organised by December 1, when a winter education period starts at the Military forces,” – the interlocutor of the agency said.

Meanwhile, on June 3 in the southern part of the Baltic Sea near the shores of Sweden, Denmark and Poland BALTOPS 2016, sea drills under NATO command have been launched. This year US B-52 strategic bombers are to take part in the exercises. They are sent to Europe with the express purpose.

Besides, recently Jens Stoltenberg, NATO’s Secretary-General, stated that in 2016 NATO members decided to considerably increase defence expenses in 2016 for the first time in almost 10 years because of growing threats, including a Russian aggression. This issue is likely to be discussed at the Alliance’s summit in Warsaw on July 8-9.