Russian forces form group to cover Russian border with Ukraine, deploy 48 Iskander missile launchers

Deputy Chief of the Main Intelligence Directorate, Major General Vadym Skibitskyi, said this in an interview with Interfax-Ukraine.

He noted that the formation of groups to cover the Russian border is a change that has taken place over the past two years. According to Skibitskyi, this is due to the fear of Russians that “we will be more active, we will carry out appropriate actions on the territory of the Russian Federation.”

"Perhaps it is necessary to move the war to the territory of Russia. They have concentrated a group of about 30,000 soldiers there. Recently, they have also been reinforced by units of the 116th Brigade of the Russian Guard, which was redeployed. Three battalions were transferred from Mariupol to the territory of the Belgorod region. As they also admit, in order to guarantee the security and holding of the elections of the ever-living Putin," he said.

The intelligence representative pointed out that the Russians also began to more actively involve the Russian Guard, which at the beginning of the full-scale invasion was only partially represented by battalions. Almost 33,000 Russian guards ensure the activities of the occupation authorities, the protection of strategic facilities, and, if necessary, can perform defense tasks in the temporarily occupied territories.

How many Russians are fighting on the territory of Ukraine

According to the Main Intelligence Directorate, the Russian army's ground forces located in Ukraine number about 470,000 people.

"If we talk about what has changed over this time, it is the size of the group deployed on our territory. Currently, the land component, the land part of the grouping located on the territory of Ukraine, is about 470,000 military personnel. And this is only the land component, I do not include aviation, we do not count the navy, which is also involved in operations, in strikes," Skibitskyi said.

Isolation of the Russian Black Sea Fleet

Skibitskyi also noted that during the two years of repulsing the Russians, Ukraine managed to isolate the Russian fleet: all the main warships of the Russian Federation are now in Novorossiysk. They can enter Sevastopol, but only to replenish ammunition, reload, or when they are on combat duty.

"All the activity of the Black Sea Fleet is off the coast of Crimea or in the eastern part of the Black Sea. Today we have fully ensured the ability to control the Black Sea Fleet in terms of fire, the ability to strike at it if it enters the northwestern part. And this gave us the opportunity to resume the work of the sea corridor," said the intelligence representative.

He emphasized that in two years Ukraine has managed to liberate many territories from occupation. In addition, Russia has not achieved its strategic goal of completely taking over Ukraine.

"We have completely violated the plans that Russia had in February 2022," Skibitskyi added.

• Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russia has lost at least 406,000 military personnel. Journalists were able to identify the names of 45,000.