Russian Marine Brigade 'in terrible shape' after fighting in Kursk - Forbes
Date: 2024-12-30 Author: Кирило Загоруйко Categories: WAR
The Russian 810th Separate Guards Marine Brigade has been significantly depleted after four months of fighting in Kursk and is setting up camp in the village of Plekhovo, a short distance from the front, to recuperate, Forbes writes.
The 2,500-strong brigade is reportedly one of two main Russian Marine units (the other being the 155th Brigade) that are supporting Russia's counteroffensive in Kursk.
"The guys from the 810th Brigade can take a smoke break, think about the eternal, collect their thoughts and prepare for future battles," the publication quotes one of the Russian bloggers, who notes that the redeployment to Plekhovo is not a retreat, but a temporary rotation from the front line.
But it is difficult to argue that the 810th Marine Brigade, as well as the 155th Marine Brigade, are not exhausted after months of mostly unsuccessful assaults, the publication says.
The 155th Brigade has been restored many times and is "currently undergoing its final replenishment" after "losing many men and most of its equipment to Ukrainian mines, drones and artillery."
The publication suggests that the 810th Brigade is "in the same terrible state." Moreover, its headquarters in the city of Lgov was attacked by the Ukrainian Defense Forces on December 25, as a result of which "members of the brigade's command staff may have been killed or wounded."
However, the publication, again citing a blogger, expresses doubt that the restoration of the Russian brigade in Plekhov can be effective, since the village is "in the zone of action of heavy weapons of the Ukrainian troops."
The fact that the Kremlin is returning some of its depleted units from the Kursk front line "testifies to the slow pace and high cost of the Russian counteroffensive in the region."
"Even with a manpower advantage of 60-20 thousand people and the help of a 12-thousand North Korean corps, the Russians managed to repel only a quarter of the uprising," the article says.
It is assumed that the Russians lost more than a quarter of their troops. It is noted that there is no official data on these losses, but there was a statement by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that North Korean troops suffered 25% of losses in this direction. The publication concludes that the losses of the 810th Separate Marine Infantry Brigade "may be even greater."
