Russia Forms Volunteer Unit to Defend Кursk Region from Ukraine’s Offensive

The authorities of Russia's Kursk region say they will establish a special volunteer unit to “maintain law and order” in territories that border the areas currently under the control of Ukraine's Armed Forces, regional governor Alexei Smirnov announced on Thursday, Aug. 29. The unit will be called “Bars-Kursk.”

“The main function of the unit is to ensure security in eight evacuated districts, as well as in other areas of the Kursk region,” he wrote on his Telegram channel.

He noted that volunteers who sign a contract will undergo training and receive weapons. The contract will be for six months, with their current employment and work schedule preserved.

“The unit's tasks are not limited to ensuring security but also include participating in the life support of evacuated areas to help those who remain during this difficult period,” Smirnov added.

He also said that all actions of the Kursk region volunteers will be coordinated with the army and the so-called “counter-terrorist operation” headquarters.

On Aug. 6, Ukraine launched an offensive into Russia's less-fortified Kursk region, surprising Moscow and forcing Russian conscripts into battle to try to contain Kyiv’s progress.

The Kremlin responded by declaring a counter-terrorist operation in the Kursk, Belgorod, and Bryansk regions. However, Ukrainian forces have continued their offensive, which shows no signs of slowing down.

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If this information is confirmed, it would be the first time such a weapon had been used since Russia invaded in February 2022.

The AFU Commander-in-Chief, Oleksandr Syrsky, outlined the operational strategy of the offensive on Tuesday, Aug. 27 saying:

“The decision to launch an offensive in the Kursk direction was made to create a security zone, stop shelling from the territory of the Russian Federation, and protect civilian objects in the Sumy region.”

Reporting on the operation's progress, Syrsky said that Kyiv's forces now controlled 1,294 square kilometers (almost 500 square miles) and 100 settlements in the Russian border region of Kursk.

Another of the key objectives of the Kursk Offensive, according to Syrsky, was to divert Russian reserves away from other critical areas. So far, according to various reports about 30,000 Russian troops have been relocated from various directions, mainly from the south, to reinforce their positions in Kursk.