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Russia to Deploy Naval Infantry and Mobilized Troops From Crimea to Active Combat Zones
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![Photo of Dariia Mykhailenko]( "Photo of Dariia Mykhailenko")
Russia plans to deploy all mobilized personnel currently stationed in occupied Crimea to combat operations starting April 1, according to a new assessment by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) on March 22.
Analysts referred to a statement by Southern Defense Forces spokesperson Vladyslav Voloshyn, who said Russia intends to commit all mobilized troops in Crimea to the battlefield.
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According to him, the personnel are expected to replace wounded soldiers and reinforce the 810th Separate Naval Infantry Brigade of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet, whose units are currently operating on the Kursk axis and within the operational-tactical group “Crimea.”
ISW noted that such measures likely reflect mounting battlefield losses and manpower shortages.
Voloshyn also said that Russia is redeploying units of the 55th and 120th naval infantry divisions into the area of responsibility of the 29th Combined Arms Army, including the Oleksandrivka sector and the northern part of the Huliaipole direction. He added that these forces could take part in combat operations starting in April 2026.
ISW reported that Russian forces are increasingly forced to draw on operational reserves even to sustain ongoing fighting.
“Russian forces have reportedly already been deploying forces from their operational reserve simply to support ongoing combat operations and likely laterally redeployed elite VDV and naval infantry units from Donetsk Oblast to the southern frontline in early March 2026,” the statement read.
The report adds that Ukrainian counterattacks in the South of Ukraine continue to affect the overall battlefield situation, forcing Russian command to divert manpower and equipment.
Separate reports indicate that the problems are not limited to frontline units, as Russian air defense forces in occupied Crimea are also facing setbacks. Command personnel responsible for air defense in the peninsula may face dismissals after a series of losses involving air defense systems, according to the partisan movement ATESH.
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“Due to accumulated losses in Crimea’s air defense units, an inspection commission has been sent from Moscow to Sevastopol. According to ATESH agents, the issue of changing the command staff of the 31st Air Defense Division is being considered,” the statement said.
According to ATESH, the division based in Sevastopol is part of Russia’s 4th Air and Air Defense Army of the Southern Military District and is tasked with protecting the airspace over the occupied peninsula, including the areas around Sevastopol and Dzhankoi. The unit operates S-400 Triumf air defense systems.
Partisans claim the formation has suffered repeated losses in recent months, which has likely weakened Russia’s air defense coverage in Crimea.
In addition, Ukraine carried out a series of drone strikes against Russian radar systems in temporarily occupied Crimea, as well as against components of a command post in the Donetsk region, according to statements released by the Special Operations Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
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-34769e0573876dd743a53ea34b9017fe.jpg "Ukraine Strikes Overnight Russian Radar Missile Systems and UAV Storage Facilities")
-111f0e5095e02c02446ffed57bfb0ab1.jpeg "Photo of Roman Kohanets")