Attack on the Belgorod region reveals big problems in Russia: Prigozhin is trying to take advantage of the situation - ISW

The attacks in the Belgorod region by the Freedom of Russia Legion and the Russian Volunteer Corps have revealed a number of problems in Russia related to the defence of the state. The founder of the Wagner PMC is trying to take advantage of the concerns in the information space to strengthen his influence within the country.

This is stated in the analytics of the American Institute for the Study of War (ISW). It is noted that the territorial defence battalions created in Belgorod region to defend the region were significantly short of weapons.

One Russian military blogger claimed that United Russia Secretary General Andrei Turchak had called on Russian President Vladimir Putin to resolve legal issues related to the supply of weapons to the battalions a month ago. If they are not funded and equipped, these units are unlikely to have an impact on the security of Russia's border regions.

For his part, Prigozhin met with representatives of Russia's regions bordering Ukraine on May 24 to discuss the strengthening of the border areas. He emphasised the need to increase the presence of Russian troops along the border, to expand the armament of border guards and to retrain them from machine guns to grenade launchers. The PMC supervisor also suggested creating additional trenches, dugouts and fire support along the Russian-Ukrainian border, arguing that these structures could provide significant protection against possible military threats.

The analysts reminded that earlier, Belgorod region spent 10 billion rubles (about $132 million) on the construction of the "Zasechnaya line" of fortifications along the border of Belgorod region with Ukraine, but the operation conducted by the "Sabotage and Reconnaissance Group" showed all the shortcomings of these structures.

The ISW believes that new calls to fortify Russian areas along the Russian-Ukrainian border are unlikely to have a significant effect, as Russian and Wagner forces are not properly allocating funds to complete these fortifications. The existing fortifications and defences could do little to prevent a limited raid on Bilhorod on May 22. Prigozhin is likely to take advantage of the media's concern about this reality in the wake of the raid to strengthen his influence domestically.

For his part, Prigozhin met with representatives of Russia's regions bordering Ukraine on May 24 to discuss the strengthening of the border areas. He emphasised the need to increase the presence of Russian troops along the border, to expand the armament of border guards and to retrain them from machine guns to grenade launchers. The PMC leader also suggested creating additional trenches, dugouts and fire support along the Russian-Ukrainian border, claiming that these structures could provide significant protection against possible military threats.

As reported by OBOZREVATEL:

- the network drew attention to the fact that the governor of the Belgorod region, Vyacheslav Gladkov, spent almost 10 billion rubles (UAH 462 million) on the equipment of defensive fortifications on the border, but the equipment of Russian volunteers did not enter the line of defensive fortifications, but completely unhindered by the Kozynka-Belgorod road;

- the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine said that the authorities of the Belgorod region of the Russian Federation are in panic, chaos and uncertainty, while the local population is sympathetic to the Russian volunteers. Moscow's statements about alleged "heavy losses" among "nationalists" are a propaganda fake.

Only verified information is available in our Obozrevatel Telegram channel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!