Crimeans to be sent into battles against Ukraine as Russia prepares fresh April offensives
Troops mobilized in Crimea to be thrown into assault operations (illustrative photo: Russian media)
Russian commanders will begin deploying all mobilized personnel in temporarily occupied Crimea to direct combat operations against Ukraine starting April 1, despite earlier claims that this would not happen, says Southern Defense Forces spokesperson Vladyslav Voloshyn.
According to him, from April, all mobilized personnel in Crimea will be assigned to combat zones. Work is currently underway to fully replace personnel of the 810th Separate Marine Brigade (Sevastopol). Combat-ready units are expected to be replaced by soldiers who have completed treatment after injuries and are deemed unfit for assault operations.
"The Russians promised that Crimeans would not be sent to fight, but now participation in combat has become mandatory for them," Voloshyn said.
Notably, part of this brigade is fighting in the Kursk direction, while another part remains in Crimea. At the same time, the Russian command plans to form a new marine division based on the 810th brigade.
Russia is also forming new units and redeploying reserves to the southern front. In particular, the 55th and 120th Marine Divisions are being transferred to the Donetsk region for reinforcement.
After training, likely in April, these forces are expected to be deployed in assaults in the Oleksandrivka and Huliaipole directions.
Also, Russia's 29th Army and 68th Army Corps will receive 265 units of military equipment to compensate for losses in the occupied Donetsk region. In addition, Russia's 58th Army plans to reinforce the 19th and 42nd motorized rifle divisions using reserve regiments from the Moscow Military District.
Earlier, Vladyslav Voloshyn reported that the Russian command is strengthening its groups in southern Ukraine by redeploying marine units for assault operations. New troops are expected to be engaged as early as April.
Currently, Russian troops are attempting to advance on Ukrainian positions near Huliaipole from multiple directions — north, south, and west — but have not been able to establish control over the city.
Commander-in-Chief of Ukraine's Armed Forces Oleksandr Syrskyi confirmed that the highest intensity of Russian offensive operations is currently observed near Huliaipole, with the city remaining in a "gray zone."
