Defence Intelligence, the UK military intelligence service, reports that Russia is assembling volunteer units to counter the Ukrainian advance in the Kursk Oblast.
As reported by the intelligence service on 30 August, the Russian Kursk Oblast Administration announced on 24 August the creation of the BARS-Kursk volunteer unit. Prospective recruits are promised that they will serve only within the Kursk Oblast in Russia on a six-month contract.
The intelligence service notes that BARS (Combat Army Reserve of the Country) units were first established in 2021, initially intended to provide the Russian MOD with a cadre of active reservists with a high level of readiness and training.
Since March 2022, volunteers have been able to join BARS units for short-term service. BARS units are predominantly light infantry formations which lack integrated artillery or armored vehicles. There are now over 30 BARS units across Russia.
Analysts at the British intelligence agency argue that the creation of the BARS-Kursk volunteer unit is almost certainly a Russian response to the Ukrainian incursion into the Kursk Oblast.
It is unlikely that the volunteer unit will be set up and able to support any Russian military activity in the Kursk Oblast over the next month. Although it is likely attempting to build its forces in the Kursk Oblast, Russia is currently prioritizing the Pokrovsk axis in eastern Ukraine.
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