The May operation of the "Russian Volunteer Corps" (RDK) and the "Freedom of Russia" legion in the Belgorod region of the Russian Federation exposed serious shortcomings in the defense line of the Russian region. Regional Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov previously reported that the Russian authorities spent 10 billion rubles on the construction of a line of fortifications along the region's border with Ukraine.

This is stated in the report of the American Institute for the Study of War (ISW).

"The head of the private military company Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, announced the construction of a complex of fortifications called the Wagner Line in this area back in October 2022. Then he directly criticized the Russian bureaucracy for not supporting the construction of a defensive line," the report says.

New calls to strengthen defenses along the border will have no significant effect. The Russian army is improperly distributing forces that are better suited to support active offensive operations, analysts say.

"The existing fortifications and defensive preparations could not prevent the raid on Belgorod. Prigozhin, meanwhile, uses the concerns of the information space related to the consequences of the operation to his advantage. In this way, he seeks to strengthen his influence in Russia," the ISW said.

Recall that on May 22, volunteers of the legion "Freedom of Russia" and the "Russian Volunteer Corps", who are citizens of the Russian Federation, came to the Belgorod region. The volunteers said their goal was to liberate Russia from Putin's regime and create a demilitarized zone along the Russian-Ukrainian border.

The Russian authorities announced a counter-terrorist operation regime on the territory of the Belgorod region.

The Ukrainian intelligence explained that the events on the territory of the Russian Federation are an internal conflict and direct consequences of a full-scale war against Ukraine.

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