Russia redeploys elite airborne and marine troops to the southern front - ISW
Kyiv • UNN
The Russian command has redeployed elite units from the Pokrovsk direction due to the successes of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Russia has previously used the redeployment of elements of the 76th Airborne Division to respond to critical situations on the front.
The Russian military command has likely redeployed elite airborne and marine units from the Pokrovsk direction and the Dobropillya tactical area in eastern Ukraine to the southern front line in response to recent Ukrainian gains in the Zaporizhzhia and Dnipropetrovsk directions. This was reported by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), according to UNN.
Details
It is indicated that the Russian military command previously redeployed "relatively elite" marine units to priority areas in response to Ukrainian counterattacks, such as the Kursk direction in August 2024 and the Dobropillya tactical area in September 2025.
The redeployment of Pacific Fleet marine elements to southern Ukraine is likely a response to ongoing Ukrainian counterattacks in Zaporizhzhia and Dnipropetrovsk Oblasts, which began in late January and early February 2026.
Analysts note that Russia has previously used the redeployment of elements of the 76th Airborne Division to respond to critical situations at the front, including deployments to Zaporizhzhia Oblast during the Ukrainian counteroffensive in 2023 and to Kursk Oblast during the Ukrainian invasion in 2024.
"The redeployment of elements of the 76th Airborne Division to southern Ukraine was likely not a response to Ukrainian counterattacks in Zaporizhzhia and Dnipropetrovsk Oblasts, as the counterattacks occurred later, although these airborne elements are now also involved in responding to Ukrainian counterattacks that began in late January and early February 2026," ISW summarizes.
Recall
According to ISW, in the last two weeks of February 2026, Ukrainian forces liberated more territory than they lost for the first time since the summer counteroffensive of 2023.