Russia redeploys forces from Africa to support latest Ukraine offensive
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – Russia redeployed some of its combat forces from Africa to help boost its latest offensive in Ukraine, Western intelligence said on Friday.
The UK Ministry of Defense said in an intelligence update that over the past week Russia has deployed units from its Africa Corps to fight in Kharkiv region in northeast Ukraine, which has witnessed intense fighting recently.
The Russian defense ministry established the Africa Corps last year in order to increase its presence in Africa and the Middle East. This military unit is made up of over 2,000 soldiers, officers, and mercenaries. Many of the members have previously served in the Wagner Group.
As reported by the UK Ministry of Defense, to support the ongoing offensive in Kharkiv, units from the Africa Corps have been sent to support the regular Russian military forces, as well as Storm-Z penal units which are made up of convicts and troops with disciplinary issues.
Russia’s defense ministry “almost certainly redeployed detachments from the Africa Corps to the Ukrainian border during April 2024 in preparation for this offensive,” the Defense Ministry said, adding, “It is highly likely that Russia is reinforcing its war on Ukraine with resources previously assigned to Africa.”
The UK believes that other units of the Africa Corps have been sent to different countries such as Syria, Libya, Burkina Faso, and Niger.