11 BTGs have been introduced in the past few days, and 22 more are located north of Ukraine.
REUTERS
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There are currently 76 Russian battalion tactical groups in Ukraine (BTG), 11 of which have been introduced in the last few days.
Writes about it Voice of America referring to a senior Pentagon official.
According to him, in addition to 76 battalion tactical groups, there are about 22 more BTGs north of Ukraine, which are likely to be replenished.
About a dozen BTGs stationed in Ukraine are trying to take over Mariupol, the official said.
“Our assessment – Mariupol is still being contested,” the official said.
According to a Pentagon official, there are significant numbers of Russian ground forces in and around Mariupol. The city is shelled by Russian aircraft and artillery.
The U.S. military estimates that if Mariupol falls under Russian control, that would free up about a dozen BTGs for use elsewhere in eastern or southern Ukraine.
“It’s a big if, because the Ukrainians are still fighting very, very hard for Mariupol,” the Pentagon spokesman said.
The US Defense Department believes that the Russian army has some potential for amphibious operations in the Black and Azov Seas. According to a Pentagon spokesman, there are no signs yet that Russia is preparing for it.
Recall that the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky said that now it can already be stated that Russian troops began the battle for the Donbass, for which they had been preparing for a long time.
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