Russian authorities recruit volunteers for territorial defence units to retake parts of Kursk Oblast claimed by Ukraine

The Russian authorities have been creating new volunteer territorial defence units to protect Kursk Oblast. Source: Institute for the Study of War (ISW); acting Kursk Oblast Governor Alexei Smirnov Details: ISW noted that it highlights Russian leader Vladimir Putin's reluctance to respond more forcefully to the incursion by mobilising, due to the potential for public discontent or by making large-scale troop redeployments.

On 29 August, Acting Kursk Oblast Governor Alexei Smirnov announced the formation of the BARS-Kursk volunteer detachment, whose primary role would be to "ensure security" in Kursk Oblast. 

Smirnov mentioned that the detachment will work alongside the Russian military and the counterterrorism operational headquarters, which are managing the current Russian response in the oblast. The detachment will also offer humanitarian aid to residents in border areas Volunteers will sign six-month contracts, undergo training and receive weapons to conduct their tasks.

Kursk Oblast officials began recruiting for the detachment on 24 August.

Colonel Vitalii Sarantsev, representative of the communications department of the Kharkiv Operational Strategic Group of Forces, reported that Russian authorities are also creating BARS-Bryansk and BARS-Belgorod detachments, which will support the Russian Northern Grouping of Forces. Sarantsev estimated that these three detachments will consist of 4,921 volunteers in total. The creation of these new BARS (Russian Army Combat Reserve) volunteer units aligns with the Kremlin's strategy to avoid redeploying experienced or effective combat units from key areas like the Pokrovsk or Toretsk fronts to Kursk Oblast, as this could slow down Russian offensive operations in those more critical areas.

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