Russia deploys 48 Iskander missile launchers along Ukrainian border

As of February 2024, Russia has deployed 48 Iskander missile complex launchers along the Ukraine border. 

Deputy Chief of the Ukrainian Defense Intelligence, Major General Vadym Skybitskyi, said in an interview with Interfax-Ukraine news agency there were previously 46 launchers along the border, Rubryka reports.

"Two launchers have been added, forming an additional tactical group used to launch ballistic missiles from Russian territory," said Skybitskyi.

The major general also said that as of February this year, the ground component of the Russian troops stationed in the temporarily occupied territory of Ukraine consists of approximately 470,000 servicemen.

He also mentioned that a new component of the Russian armed forces, the Rosgvardia group, has appeared in the occupied territories. Approximately 33,000 servicemen are involved.

The British intelligence believes that the Russian army lacks combat readiness to take advantage of the Avdiivka seizure effect.

Front-line situation

Ukrainian soldiers continue inflicting losses on occupational forces in manpower and equipment, exhausting the enemy along the entire front line.

Yesterday, on February 20, Ukrainian soldiers repelled 20 Russian attacks on the Mariupol front, held their positions, and repelled the assaults of occupational forces on the Kherson front.

The Ukrainian forces also eliminated over 1,100 Russian occupiers. Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, the Russian losses in terms of manpower have already exceeded 406,000 soldiers.

On February 17, it became known that the Ukrainian forces received the order from the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Syrskyi, to leave Avdiivka for pre-prepared positions. 

British intelligence said the Russian army lacked combat capability to exploit the Avdiivka seizure effect.

ISW also analyzed the Russian army's actions on the Avdiivka front. They believe that the Russian occupiers will have to take an operational pause before resuming offensive operations or redeploy reinforcements from other front sectors to prevent the culmination of operations near Avdiivka.

Moreover, Ukrainian soldiers, presumably, struck at the formation of Russian motorized riflemen in the occupied part of the Donetsk region. The strike reportedly killed at least 60 occupiers, according to various estimates.