Ukraine forms new brigades amid fears of Belarus front
Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrskyi (photo: facebook.com/CinCAFofUkraine)
Amid the threat from Belarus, Ukraine's Armed Forces need to create new brigades to ensure they can repel a possible offensive, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrskyi said in a comment to LIGA.net.
According to him, having failed to achieve success in the main directions, the Russians decided to expand the area of their active operations in northern Ukraine.
According to Russia's plans, this is expected to increase the length of the active frontline by 160 kilometers.
Syrskyi noted that the enemy currently has an advantage in both manpower and weapons. To ensure that this possible offensive can be repelled and the territory protected, Ukraine needs to form new brigades.
"By the way, the enemy has adjusted its plans and intends to create additional divisions and five brigades this year. We are forced to respond to such actions. In war, you either seize the initiative or surrender it. There is no third option," the commander-in-chief added.
When asked why new brigades should be created instead of reinforcing existing ones, Syrskyi replied: "If you increase the size of a brigade, it will not increase the length of the frontline where it can be deployed."
He added that a brigade "cannot be stretched." At the same time, increasing the size of a brigade extends its lifespan as a combat unit, meaning it can perform its tasks longer in a designated area, rather than over a larger territory.
The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine stressed that the frontline now has different characteristics: it has significantly increased in depth.
"So when the front grows both wider and deeper, the arithmetic is relentless: new military units are needed," Syrskyi explained.
Threat from Belarus
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy previously said that Russia was considering several scenarios for expanding the war, including involving Belarus.
The Belarusian opposition also handed Ukraine a report on developments that could indicate a changing role for Minsk in the war.
In addition, mobilization exercises are being held in Belarus's Grodno region in June. Military enlistment offices are checking the records of conscripts.
At present, there are no signs that Belarusian troops are preparing for a ground invasion of Ukraine.
However, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrskyi ordered stronger border defenses in the northern direction.
Meanwhile, The Wall Street Journal writes that Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin is pressuring Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko to open a "second front."
Last week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy demanded that the Belarusian authorities remove at least four relay stations in the Brest and Gomel regions.
According to him, they were being used to guide Russian strikes against Ukrainian cities. Zelenskyy issued Lukashenko a firm ultimatum.
Yesterday, the Ukrainian president said that the relay stations on Belarusian territory had stopped operating on June 22. It is currently unknown whether the equipment was dismantled or simply switched off.
