"Weakly prepared": in ISW ​​explained why the Russian Federation did not complete defense in the south of Ukraine

According to experts, due to the successful promotion of defense forces, the elite units of Russia, which were responsible for counterattack at the front, were strongly degraded. Occupation troops moved the forces of part of the 42nd Motorized Rifle Division to Tokmak. This indicates that the Russian command did not intensify defense in the depths of the south of Ukraine. This was reported in the ISW report.

The source suggests that the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation posted units of fighters from the 70th and 71st motorized rifle regiments within the limits of multi-peeled defense between the current front line and Tokmak. Analysts point out that parts of the 42nd Motorized Rifle Division continue to be placed up to Tokmak, which confirms the absence of a deep-penetrated defense in the south of Ukraine in the Russian command.

Based on the information available, experts say that poorly prepared units of the 42nd Motorized Rifle Division from the Russian 58th All-Military Army are increasingly carrying out counter-attacks in the Novoprokopivka area. This may indicate that the results of counter -offensive operations of the Ukrainian Armed Forces could have a degraded impact on these units, compared to more experienced parts of GVI, which previously performed counterattacks.

Recently, Russian sources reported that the fighters of the 3rd Battalion of the 71st Motorized Rifle Regiment participated in a shooting with the military police of the 70th Motorized Rifle Regiment in the occupied Tokmak (the 70th and 71st regiments belong to 42 divisions).

"The presence of fighters of the 70th and 71st Motorized Rifle Regiments in Tokmak suggests that Russian troops have placed units of these regiments throughout the multi-perennial defense between the current front line and Tokmak. The reasons to assume that the elements of the same Russian connections and parts that are defended in the leading positions take positions, probably in less, in the following defensive layers, " - said in ISW.

Analysts believe that it is possible that the imperceptible parts of other Russian units and joints can occupy positions in the rear defense lines, despite the fact that the current number of Russian troops on the forefront suggests that it is unlikely. We will remind, according to the Institute of War Study (ISW) of September 24, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the Minister of Defense Sergei Shoigu to stop the Ukrainian counter -offensive until the beginning of October 2023.