Russia is not interested in President Zelensky’s bait of attacking and seizing the Kursk region.
Instead of moving troops from Donetsk to Kursk, Russian leader Vladimir Putin has deployed mercenaries, who were previously stationed in Africa, to fight in Kursk.
Russia has flown hundreds of mercenaries from the PMC Battle Encounter Assault Regiment (BEAR) to Kursk to combat the forces of Volodymyr Zelensky, who are invading the western border region of Russia.
According to the French newspaper Le Monde, the ‘BEAR’ are known as Russian mercenaries who have been fighting in Burkina Faso on behalf of Captain Ibrahim Traore’s junta since the spring.
In May, approximately one hundred mercenaries from the company were sent to Burkina Faso’s capital, Ouagadougou, where their task was to provide security for key figures, including Traore.
“The official reason for their departure just three months after their arrival is to participate in Russia’s defense efforts against the Ukrainian army’s attacks, which began on August 6 in the Kursk region,” the publication stated.
PMC BEAR commander Viktor Ermolaev, who spoke with the newspaper on August 22, confirmed the deployment of the mercenaries to Russia. The PMC stated that “due to recent events, the brigade has returned to Crimea,” its base of operations.
PMC BEAR is a private military group employed by Russia alongside regular troops to secure the rulers of African countries.
The BEAR Brigade is closely associated with the quasi-private military company Redut, which is suspected of being controlled by the Main Directorate of the Russian Ministry of Defense’s Foreign Intelligence.
The BEAR Brigade was officially designated as the “81st Special Volunteer Brigade” on May 30, 2023.
The history of the BEAR private military company consists of former special forces officers from across the former Soviet Union.
The members of the BEAR fought in the Contract War as representatives of the Russian government to uncover the illegal activities of TerraGroup Labs and to end the ongoing armed conflict with its security subcontractor, the Western-established PMC USEC.
Meanwhile, in the past 24 hours, Russia has claimed that Ukraine’s advance in the Kursk region has stalled.
As Kiev attempts to push further into Kursk, Russia has instead targeted their rear positions, aiming to reduce artillery support.
Russia struck the Sumy region, a Ukrainian area directly adjacent to Kursk. This region is a major supporter of the Ukrainian forces invading Kursk.
Russia Today reported that Ukraine’s advance has come to a halt, creating a situation that has effectively turned into a battle without a clear front line.
The war is centered around several settlements, including the villages of Martynovka, Korenevo, Malaya Lonya, Kremyanoye, Borki, and other locations.
