Warning from Russia: Putin wants to create “two new armies”.

Russia continues to expand its military, while the war in Ukraine is taking heavy toll. Sergei Shoigu even makes a concrete announcement.

Moscow – Russia feels threatened. Above all from the old enemy America, but also from their supporters in Western Europe. At least the explanation given by Vladimir Putin and his followers for the war in Ukraine is, according to Moscow, a form of self-defense. Russia wants to expand this further in the future and plans to strengthen its military.

Putin and the Ukraine War: The Kremlin Boss Relies on Mass and Pure Violence

The Kremlin's response to perceived threats has always been violence. Pure violence. And this is confirmed with sheer mass. The war economy is in full swing, Putin sends A large number of soldiers in the war zone in Ukraine. It has long been clear to the entire world: the president, who is entering his fifth term, is making Russia pay too high a price to pursue its goals in the war in Ukraine.

The necessary weapons of the army have been in full swing for a long time. how Moscow-based media agency RBC Sergei Shoigu is said to have given a status report on troop expansion at a meeting of the Ministry of Defense. “A military brigade, a motorized rifle division, the Dnieper flotilla and a brigade of river boats of the flotilla were created,” the defense minister was quoted as saying.

Die Denkfabrik Institute for the Study of War (ISW) The Dnieper Flotilla is the historical name of various river-based special military units used in World War II and earlier wars.

New army for Russia: Shoigu reveals plans for war in Ukraine by year's end

However, according to Shoigu, Moscow has plans to position itself more broadly by the end of the year. During this time, 30 formations, including two combined armed forces and 14 divisions and 16 brigades, are to be created. ISW emphasizes that Russia has already created two new armies in 2023 with 18 and 25. It is unclear whether Shoigu intended to include the other two with his comments.

However, Putin's confidant announced in January 2023 that three new motorized rifle divisions and two new air force divisions would be reorganized into motorized rifle divisions alongside the existing seven motorized rifle brigades. In his most recent speech, however, he no longer made any distinction, which is why Russia wants to set up two more divisions in addition to the twelve mentioned.

the sea Independence of Kiev Shoigu added during his visit: “We will continue to strengthen the Russian military in response to growing threats to our country's security.”

Russia is arming its army – but not because of the war in Ukraine: according to experts, the target is NATO

According to ISW However, Moscow is currently short of manpower amid the war in Ukraine, military infrastructure and training opportunities to staff many new units and army-wide organizations and reach full strength in the medium term. However, Putin is more interested in expanding long-term military capabilities compared to NATO.

Therefore, military experts expect that these Russian efforts are a preparation for a possible conventional war with the transatlantic alliance and not aimed at a direct war with Ukraine.

Russia is probably reacting to NATO expansion: Moscow wants to ensure “state security”.

American portal Newsweek He spoke to John Foreman, a former British defense attaché in Moscow and Kiev, about the potential threat to NATO. The retired Royal Navy officer heard nothing new in Shoigu's report, and his convictions did not represent a Russian attack on the Confederation. Instead, he sees a “repetition of previously announced plans to expand and transform the Russian military into a strategic defense operation as a result of Finland and Sweden joining NATO.”

As for details, Shoigu was vague. “Given the ongoing fighting in Ukraine, the ongoing casualties, the heavy pressure on the military-industrial complex, and the destruction of vast amounts of equipment, Russia is not currently capable of managing these new large systems,” said Foreman.

RBC It also implements Putin's decree on the number of personnel in the armed forces from December. Nearly 2.21 million people are grouped here, of which 1.32 million are considered military personnel. Even then, Shoigu stressed the need to increase the numbers. Former President Dmitry Medvedev explained his role as deputy chairman of the Security Council focused on “independence and security of the state” while expanding the military. (mg)