'Space brigade' sent to defend Kursk reclassified as motorized infantry
Photo: The "space brigade" of the Russian Federation was thrown into the Kursk region (Getty Images)
Russia has deployed the so-called "space brigade" to defend the Kursk region. The soldiers have been reclassified as motorized infantry due to a shortage of personnel, according to Important Stories.
The publication, citing sources, notes that a motorized rifle regiment composed of personnel from the Russian Aerospace Forces was formed in May-June for border protection. The so-called "space brigade" arrived in the border areas a few weeks before the Ukrainian breakthrough, in mid-July.
The unit included soldiers from security companies, engineers, mechanics, and a few officers from the flight crews. They were transferred to infantry from airfields in Ukrainka in Altai Krai, Belaya in Irkutsk region, and Engels in Saratov region.
It is reported that the "space brigade" is already experiencing casualties. In the fighting near the settlement of Korenevo, 22-year-old Ilya Romanov went missing. He had been transferred to infantry from the 28th arsenal of the space forces in Tambov region, a high-security facility where rockets and satellites are stored.
The publication also speculates that the motorized rifle troops were likely part of a convoy of equipment destroyed by a strike near Rylsk in Kursk region on the night of August 9. On the same day, a 22-year-old sergeant from the aerospace forces, transferred from a heavy bomber base in Amur region, was injured at this location.
Fighting in the Kursk region
On August 6, 2024, Ukraine launched an operation in Russia’s Kursk region. Initially, Russian authorities attempted to downplay the scale of the fighting, but this effort was unsuccessful.
It is known that Ukrainian forces control dozens of settlements. Ukraine has also announced the creation of a buffer zone and plans to open a humanitarian corridor for evacuation.
Today, August 18, the Air Force reported the destruction of another bridge in Kursk region and released video footage of the combat operation.
Recently, Ukrainian defenders managed to capture 102 Russian soldiers. Among the prisoners were motorized rifle troops and Kadyrov's Akhmat unit.
To find out whether the Kursk breakthrough might prompt Russia to accelerate prisoner exchanges, see the RBC-Ukraine report.
