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1 1 (December 6, 2021)

handle is hein.crs/goveeye0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Congressional
*.Research Service
inforrming the Iegislative debate since 1914___________________
Russian Troop Movements and Tensions
Along the Ukrainian Border
Updated December 6, 2021
Starting in mid-October 2021, social media and news outlets have reported significant movement by
Russian military forces, with limited Russian transparency, on or near the Ukrainian border. These
movements, which follow a similar military buildup in March-April 2021 and Russia's Zapad military
exercises in September 2021, come amid increasingly aggressive rhetoric reported from Russian
policymakers about the so-called encroachment of NATO near Russia's borders and the geopolitical
status of Ukraine. Many observers, including some in Congress, have expressed concerns that such
buildups and exercises could be the prelude to a second Russian invasion of Ukraine or other aggressive
actions.
Russian Troop Deployments
Many analysts and officials characterize Russia's recent troop movements as significant and as falling
outside normal troop rotations or military exercises, due to the deployment of units over long distances
and far away from their usual training grounds. Of particular concern is the movement and pre-
positioning of equipment closer to the Ukrainian border, which is difficult and time-consuming to
transport. Pre-positioned equipment allows Russian units to quickly mobilize and conduct operations.
Several reports center on Russia's shift of
Figure I. Russian Borders with Ukraine and     equipment and units from the 41St Combined
Belarus                      Arms Army (CAA) from the Central Military
District, headquartered in Novosibirsk, Siberia.
Units from the 41St CAA reportedly had been
RUSSIA              stationed at the Pogonovo training grounds
outside Voronezh since March; they did not return
U KR A NE                          to permanent basing after the conclusion of the
D    m         z                 Zapad 2021 exercises in September (see Figure
1). In mid-October, social and news media reports
indicated these units, which include heavy
`vatp n:                    artillery and a battalion of Iskander-M short-range
1L*         ballistic missiles, were moving toward Yelnya, on
Bndi are not nCongressional Research Service
Source: Congressional Research Service.                       https:/crsreports.congress.gov
IN11806
CRS INSIGHT
Prepared for Members and
Committees of Congress

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