(ANSA) – ROME, August 10 – To reinforce the offensive in the Donbass and defenses against expected Ukrainian counterattacks in the south, Russia has formed an important new formation of ground forces, the 3rd Army Corps, based in Nizhny Novgorod Oblast east of Moscow. This came in a tweet published by an updated intelligence report of the British Ministry of Defense.
Russia may be planning to deploy newly formed “volunteer” battalions from all over the country, the report said. Russian regional politicians have confirmed that potential recruits receive cash rewards for fighting in Ukraine. Employment is open to men up to the age of 50 with a middle school education only.
The Russian army’s corps typically consists of 15,000 to 20,000 soldiers, but it would likely be difficult for Moscow to form battalions of this size given the very limited levels of popular enthusiasm to volunteer to fight in Ukraine. According to the report, the influence of these military forces is unlikely to be decisive in the campaign. (Dealing).
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