Russian Nuclear Forces Used As Infantry In Ukraine "Missing," Many Believed Dead

This report is interesting for two reasons. First, it confirms Russia's desperation for troops as they repurpose/plunder skilled operatives from complex and crucial strategic military units to be thrown away as assault infantry in meat assaults. 

But it also exposes the fallacy of fearing Putin's nuclear threats: if the Kremlin were serious about launching nuclear strikes, they would not be wasting these guys as infantry in Toretsk. JL 

Brendan Cole reports in Newsweek:

Russia is sending to the frontline personnel who oversee its nuclear arsenal to carry out assaults in which many troops have gone missing. The troops from the Strategic Missile Forces (RVSN) military unit No. 43879, is part of the 132nd Motorized Rifle Brigade, which consists of personnel from nuclear security and logistics units. They were used as assault infantry (around) Toretsk in Ukraine's Donetsk. "Many of them are missing." In November 2024, trucks belonging to the (Russian)12th Main Directorate Missile Forces crossed the border into Ukraine. "At that time we didn't know what their purpose was. Now we do." This could weaken security around its strategic nuclear infrastructure.

Russia is sending to the frontline personnel who oversee its nuclear arsenal to carry out assaults in which many troops have gone missing, it has been reported.

Open-source intelligence X account Unit Observer said that the troops from the Strategic Missile Forces (RVSN) were used as assault infantry in the Toretsk direction of Ukraine's Donetsk region in an operation not publicly discussed.

Newsweek has contacted the Russian defense ministry for comment.

This illustrative image shows Ukrainian soldier is pictured on November 12, 2024, in Toretsk, Ukraine. Russian personnel tasked with overseeing nuclear weapons are being thrown into frontline assaults in the Toretsk direction, it has been...  Vlada Liberova/Getty Images

 

This crossover between nuclear forces and conventional infantry roles is unusual and suggests Moscow is expanding its mobilization pool to fill combat gaps as it faces huge losses in Ukraine.

However, this move could weaken security around its strategic nuclear infrastructure as the atomic threat Moscow poses continues to hover over the war amid nuclear deterrence debates in Europe.

What to know

Open-source intelligence outlet Unit Observer said Russia had redeployed military personnel from its Strategic Missile Forces (RVSN) into frontline combat roles in Ukraine. It said that the personnel had been sent to fight near Toretsk and that "many of them are missing." The report was also cited by independent Russian news outlet Important Stories.

Next to a map and video, the outlet said it had been tracking Russia's 12th Main Directorate, which is responsible for nuclear weapons storage and logistics, since November 2024.

 

Trucks crossed the border into Ukraine as Russia moved personnel toward the Donetsk front, the outlet said. Analysts tracked their presence through military movements and, later, obituaries of soldiers who were killed.

The analysis said the 12th Directorate was connected to a newly identified 20th Regiment, operating without a clearly defined command chain in the Toretsk sector.

Later confirmation tied the regiment to military unit No. 43879, which is part of the 132nd Motorized Rifle Brigade, which is thought to consist of personnel from nuclear security and logistics units.

 

The first time a motorized rifle regiment composed of RVSN personnel was mentioned was in July 2024.

In September 2024, the OSINT project Moklase reported that Russia had also transferred to the frontline sailors who served on the only Russian aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov.

What people are saying

Open-source intelligence X account Unit Observer: "Russian Nuclear Forces are used as assault infantry in the Toretsk direction. In November 2024, trucks belonging to the (Russian)12th Main Directorate crossed the border into Ukraine.. At that time we didn't know what their purpose was. Now we do."

What happens next

The report comes as Ukrainian forces recently advanced near Toretsk as well as Pokrovsk, according to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) amid the ongoing fight for the Donetsk region.

 

Meanwhile, in the face of the threat posed by Russia, nuclear deterrence debates in Europe are ongoing with Poland's president Andrzej Duda calling on President Donald Trump to station American nuclear warheads in Poland.