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Jan. 23, 2026, 9:43 a.m.
Occupants transfer special forces from the front to search for Ukrainian agents in Crimea
Цей матеріал також доступний українською0
Russian military in Crimea. PHOTO: ua.krymr.com
The enemy has redeployed units from the front to the occupied Crimea to strengthen air defense and fight Ukrainian UAVs. Experts believe that the occupiers are also seeking to strengthen control over the peninsula and intensify the search for Ukrainian agents.
This was reported by the Atesh guerrilla movement.
The Russian command is withdrawing some units from the front line and redeploying them to the occupied Crimea to protect military facilities and strengthen air defense against Ukrainian drones. In particular, we are talking about the "Irish" unit from the "Espanyol" brigade, as well as the "Disgusting 8" from the 106th Airborne Division of the Russian Armed Forces.
Serhiy Kuzan, head of the Ukrainian Center for Security and Cooperation, explained in a comment to Suspilne.Krym that the deployment of the so-called "elite" units to Crimea has several reasons. According to him, the Russian command is trying to take control of the partially uncontrolled Espanyol unit and use its resources to strengthen the search for Ukrainian agents on the peninsula.
The expert noted that these formations consist mainly of assault troops who are used to operating in urban combat, so they need stricter control. In his opinion, it is in Crimea that it is easier for the Russians to change the command or supervisors of such units and make them more manageable than directly on the front line. He added that this became one of the tasks after the elimination of the founder of the Espanyol brigade, Stanislav Orlov, call sign "Spaniard," who was shot dead in December 2025 in occupied Sevastopol.
Against this backdrop, the occupation authorities are tightening security measures on the peninsula. According to Kuzan, Russian security forces have intensified the work of checkpoints and road checks, in particular, on January 20, the occupation police conducted mass inspections of civilian vehicles on the ring roads of Simferopol.
He explained that the Russian side is aware of the presence in Crimea of a significant number of Ukrainian intelligence agents who collect intelligence, help with targeting and transmitting coordinates for strikes on military and logistics facilities.
According to the expert, due to the lack of security forces, the occupiers plan to involve the unit's fighters in search operations. He warned that these units could be used to block roads, conduct raids and put pressure on civilians, including people suspected of disloyalty to the Russian authorities. Kuzan emphasized that for the first time, there is a situation when linear combat units are being withdrawn from the frontline precisely because of the growing number of disgruntled residents of the occupied Crimea who do not cooperate with the occupation administration.
He also drew attention to the fact that the unit's fighters had previously been noted for their particular cruelty to civilians. According to him, this unit was formed from radicals and football ultras under the control of Russian special services.
Russian troops also stepped up repressive measures in Crimea. After a series of successful strikes by the Ukrainian Defense Forces, the invaders launched massive inspections and raids in Simferopol, trying to identify local residents suspected of launching attacks and collaborating with the Ukrainian military.
