British intelligence reported that Russia began deploying a newly created division of airborne troops in the occupied part of Kherson Oblast.
A new intelligence report from the British Ministry of Defense shows that Russia has for the first time begun deploying the newly formed 104th Guards Airborne Division in Ukraine, mainly in occupied Kherson Oblast.
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu announced plans to reestablish this unit in August 2023. In 1998 it was reduced to a brigade-sized formation. British intelligence noted that units subordinate to the 104th Division likely included the 337th Regiment and the 52nd Artillery Brigade.
The intelligence also suggested that the level of training of the 104th Division’s soldiers was inadequate and below the standards considered “elite” in the context of assessing airborne troops. The division will most likely be controlled by Colonel General Mikhail Teplinski, who has been appointed commander of the Dnepr group since October.
Russia is changing its tactics regarding the use of cluster bombs
In battles with Ukrainian soldiers, Russia began to use 500-kilogram cluster bombs more often. The British Ministry of Defense announced this based on intelligence data. It is very likely that in November the Russian Air Force began to use RBK-500 cluster bombs weighing 500 kg more often.
“Depending on the model, each RBK-500 delivers approximately 100 to 350 missiles. In turn, each high-explosive missile typically explodes with hundreds of high-velocity fragments or a single, larger anti-tank charge,” the report said.
According to intelligence reports, RBK-500 bombs were used against Ukrainian forces in the Vuhledar area and near Avdiivka in Donetsk Oblast.
“There is a real possibility that Russia, as with other aerial bombs, has recently integrated a planning and correction module into the RBK-500 bombs. Thanks to this, the aircraft can drop the bomb many kilometers from the target. generally have poor accuracy. However, with a large number of missiles, a single RBK-500 can cause destruction in an area of several hundred meters, increasing the likelihood of causing at least partial damage to an established target,” the intelligence agency notes.
Source: Do Rzeczy
Roy Brown is a renowned economist and author at The Nation View. He has a deep understanding of the global economy and its intricacies. He writes about a wide range of economic topics, including monetary policy, fiscal policy, international trade, and labor markets.
