Russia mobilizes key brigades to Kharkiv amid heavy losses

The spokesperson for the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Col. Yuriy Povkh, claims that the Russians are mobilizing elements of the 9th Motorized 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 had transferred units from the Kherson region and other areas towards Kharkiv.

Voloshyn, in turn, reported that Russian troops intend to transfer parts of the 155th Pacific Fleet Marine Brigade and the 9th Motorized Rifle Brigade towards Kharkiv to "compensate for heavy losses."

"Statements from Ukrainian officials suggest that the Russian military may have subordinated the 9th Motorized Rifle Brigade to the possibly resurrected 51st Army from World War II," wrote the analysts.

"The Russian army is currently 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.