When even the navy goes infantry: a telling trend inside Russia’s army

A very telling trend in the Russian army is the practice of stripping fairly rare specialists from various branches to plug holes in the infantry. A very good sign.

• In Kursk Oblast, units of a composite motorized rifle regiment formed from personnel of the Strategic Rocket Forces of the Russian Armed Forces are operating. Reports indicate that one of its battalions was spotted near Vovchansk (Kharkiv Oblast).

• In Sumy Oblast, units of a composite motorized rifle regiment formed from personnel of the Russian Aerospace Forces are operating.

• Near Kostyantynivka, units of a composite motorized rifle regiment formed from personnel of the Russian Navy were identified today (specifically, the 1st Battalion formed by the Baltic Fleet; presumably, each fleet was forced to cough up a battalion).

As a result, two composite regiments are operating within the Northern grouping of forces, and one within the Central grouping.

These 'Frankenstein formations' appear only when operational reserves are critically depleted. And if earlier two regiments were dumped onto a secondary direction — the north — the navy was less lucky and got sent straight to Kostyantynivka.

For the fourth year in a row, the Russian navy has been scraping up everything that’s alive to compensate for losses in naval infantry — including sailors pulled directly from combat ship crews.

The commander of the Pacific Fleet (Admiral Sergey Avakyants, dismissed after a snap combat-readiness inspection in April 2023 — Ed.) refused to play along — and was promptly removed, ending up in charge of DOSAAF [(Voluntary Society for Assistance to the Army, Aviation and Navy) is an all-Russian public-state organization focused on strengthening national defense, security, and patriotic education - ed.] instead of a fleet.

He was replaced by the former commander of the Baltic Fleet, Viktor Liina — and the conveyor belt started moving as demanded. Meanwhile, the Pacific Fleet is one of only two fleets that maintains nuclear submarines of the nuclear triad of our unhinged neighbor. Everything checks out: anyone who didn’t secure a slot in naval infantry (where the 155th Brigade is now being inflated into the 55th Naval Infantry Division) gets shoved into composite regiments and shipped off to Kostyantynivka.

There has also been a rumor about organizational “reforms” in the 20th Army of the Western grouping of forces: battalions are reportedly having all separate platoons and detachments cut, leaving nothing but infantry organized into three companies.

Two explanations are circulating: an acute shortage of manpower for infantry — especially assault units — and a lack of fuel and lubricants. It remains unclear whether this is disinformation or the grim reality of the Russian army — but the trajectory is telling.