British Intelligence update on Ukraine as of Feb. 4

British Intelligence update on Ukraine as of Feb. 4

The Russian military has formally integrated occupied areas of Ukraine into its Southern Military District.

On 03 February 2023, Russia state news agency TASS reported that the Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics and the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions are being placed under the three-star command which is headquartered in Rostov-on-Don.

This follows Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu’s January announcement that military expansion would include the establishment of ‘self-sufficient force groupings’ in Ukraine.

The move highlights that the Russian military likely aspires to integrate newly occupied territory into a long-term strategic posture.

However, it is unlikely to have an immediate impact on the campaign: Russia currently deploys forces from across all of Russia’s military districts, commanded by an ad hoc deployed headquarters.