Russia Shifting Weapons, Ammo, Troops From Crimea For Growing Kursk Shortages

The implication is that Russia is transferring men and materiel intended to defend southern sectors like Kherson and Zaporizhzhia is now being redeployed to Kursk as the ongoing Ukrainian offensive there has exposed Russian shortages across the front. 

This confirms the Ukrainian strategy in Kursk as it is now creating weaknesses in numerous other sectors across the front. 

Julia Struck reports in the Kyiv Post:

Russian troops are transferring weapons, ammunition, and military equipment belonging to the 810th Marine Brigade from occupied Crimea to the Kursk region. The 810th Marines, stationed near Sevastopol in Kozacha Bay, are part of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet coastal forces. “This indicates a shortage of weapons in the Kursk sector, which the [Russians] are trying to fill by reallocating resources from less active areas, such as the Kherson sector." Newly recruited servicemen from Samara are being also deployed to the Kursk region as part of the 15th Motorized Rifle Brigade, with some units having been previously transferred from Pokrovsk

Agents of the Atesh partisan movement have reported that Russian troops are transferring weapons, ammunition, and military equipment from occupied Crimea to the Kursk region, releasing the corresponding photos.

“Our agents tracked the movement of weapons, ammunition, and military equipment belonging to the 810th Marine Brigade,” the report read.

The 810th Separate Marine Infantry Brigade, stationed near Sevastopol in Kozacha Bay, is part of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet coastal forces.

 

According to the partisans, the Russians are actively repairing damaged equipment at repair bases in Crimea and sending it for further deployment to the Kursk region.

“This indicates a shortage of weapons in the Kursk sector, which they [Russians] are trying to fill by reallocating resources from less active areas, such as the Kherson sector,” the report said.

 

Atesh released photos showing military equipment being transported, allegedly including Soviet ZU-23 23-mm twin anti-aircraft guns, landing combat vehicles (of the second or third modification), and cargo military Kamaz trucks for transporting ammunition or personnel.

The partisans added that they continue to monitor Russian military movements and promptly share information with the Ukrainian Defense Forces (AFU).

In a recent report, Atesh agents discovered a Buk-M3 medium-range anti-aircraft missile system on the coast of the Gagarin district in Sevastopol. There was also a P-18 radar station used for early warning and targeting for the Buk-M3, enhancing the air defense capability to detect and destroy targets at greater distances.

 

Given that damaged Russian equipment is reportedly being repaired on the peninsula and then transferred to the Kursk front, it isn’t surprising that Moscow is making every effort to bolster the air defense of the occupied peninsula.

 

The Atesh movement previously reported that men from Russia’s Samara region are being mobilized and sent to the front lines in the Kursk region.

Guerillas’ investigation of the military commissariat in Syzran, Samara, revealed increased mobilization efforts. Newly recruited servicemen are being deployed to critical areas in the Kursk region as part of the 15th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade, with some units having been previously transferred from the Pokrovsk sector, as per the report.

The partisans also claimed that Military Committee employees are working from underground offices due to fears of sabotage.

Russia’s defensive move to retake Ukrainian-held territory in the Kursk region has been “stopped,” according to a spokesperson from Ukraine’s military administration, following Russia’s claims of beginning to repel the surprise incursion.

Earlier this month, Russia announced it had reclaimed several villages in the region, where Kyiv has maintained control since its counterinvasion began over a month ago.

 

“They tried to attack from the flanks but were stopped,” said Oleksiy Dmytrashkivsky, a spokesman for Ukraine’s military administration in Kursk. “The situation has stabilized, and everything is now under control—they haven’t been successful.”

A Ukrainian official later downplayed the claim, saying, “The Russian operation in the Kursk region is still ongoing, so it’s too early to declare it a complete failure,” speaking on condition of anonymity.

Meanwhile, local governor Alexei Smirnov reported that Russia has ordered the evacuation of villages near the Ukrainian border in the Kursk region. The mandatory evacuation affects settlements within a 15-kilometer (10-mile) zone.

This move comes as Moscow intensifies efforts to reclaim territory lost during Ukraine’s counteroffensive, which began on Aug. 6. Over 150,000 residents have fled the region since Kyiv captured several villages and advanced deep into Russian territory.