Ukraine at OSCE: Russia has three force groupings capable of sudden offensive on border

Head of the Main Directorate for International Cooperation and Verification of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Lieutenant General Leonid Holopatiuk made a corresponding statement during an online meeting of the OSCE Forum for Security Co-operation, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

"As of today, three joint force groupings have been set up near the border with Ukraine which are able to carry out sudden offensive operations on the territory of Ukraine without an announcement of mobilization and with minimal preparatory measures," Holopatiuk said during a meeting on the implementation and modernization of the Vienna Document 2011 on confidence and security-building measures.

The Ukrainian General pointed out that the Russian Federation continued to increase the number of troops (forces) along the state border of Ukraine.

"In particular, new military units are being actively formed and existing military formations are being reorganized in order to increase their combat potential. At present, 28 battalion tactical groups have been deployed along the state border of Ukraine. Currently, the formation of three new units is being completed - two armies and an army corps which are expected to become fully operational in 2020-2021," he said.

The 20th combined arms army was created as part of the 3rd motorized rifle division and the 144th motorized rifle division in the ground-based element in the western strategic direction. At the same time, the 448th missile brigade of the 20th army is armed with operational-tactical Iskander missile systems.

The 8th combined arms (assault) army was created as a part of the 150th motorized rifle division, the 20th separate motorized rifle brigade and operatively subordinated 1st (Donetsk) and 2nd (Luhansk) Army Corps in the south-western strategic direction. The Iskander missile brigades are to be set up in the district and the army.

"In total, the strength of ground groups of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation along the border of Ukraine is about 87,000 servicepersons, up to 1,100 units of tanks; up to 2,600 armored combat vehicles; up to 1,100 artillery systems; up to 360 multiple-rocket launch systems, 18 operational and tactical missile systems," Holopatiuk informed the delegations of the OSCE participating states.

The air component continues to be re-equipped with modern and modernized aircraft models (Su-30SM, Su-35S, Su-34, Su-25SM3, MiG-31K aircraft with Kinzhal hypersonic complex and helicopters of various modifications).

"In total, about 330 combat aircraft and 230 helicopters are stationed at the base airfields near the state border of Ukraine," the Head of the Main Directorate for International Cooperation and Verification of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said.

In addition, the mobilization deployment centers continue to be formed, on the basis of which it is possible to form up to four combined arms division (Bohuchar, Kamensk-Shakhtinsky, Novoozerne / temporarily occupied territory of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea).

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