• Russia has ceased to hide the fact that it is creating a 3rd Army Corps that will be stationed in Ukraine
• Recruiting for the “Samara” volunteer battalion was announced in Samara Oblast on August 6 by Russian propagandist Sasha Kots
• Recall that Russia has been organizing “volunteer” battalions in the Novosibirsk, Saratov, Ulyanovsk, and Kurgan Oblasts to join the conflict in Ukraine.

Russia has ceased to hide the fact that it is creating a 3rd Army Corps that will be stationed in Ukraine and comprise male service members between the ages of 18 and 50 who have no prior military experience.

ISW previously reported that Ukrainian officials believed that Russian forces were forming a 15,500-person 3rd Army Corps within the Western Military District (WMD) based out of Mulino, Nizhny Novgorod Oblast, but did not have official confirmation of its formation from Russian sources. This is according to experts with the Institute for the Study of War.

Recruiting for the “Samara” volunteer battalion was announced in Samara Oblast on August 5 by Russian propagandist Sasha Kots, who also highlighted that the battalion will join the 3rd Army Corps of the Russian military.

According to the report, Kots’ announcement also suggests that the Kremlin is probably planning to form the 3rd Army Corps, at least in part, from volunteer battalions. “The battalion is recruiting men between the ages of 18 and 50 who have completed at least middle or high school education, without requiring prior military experience,” the report says.

Aleksandr Butkov, the governor of Omsk Oblast, announced on August 5 that the region is continuing to establish the three volunteer battalions “Irtysh,” “Avangard,” and “Om” in preparation for their deployment to the Donbas to provide engineering, medical, and logistical support.

Recall that Russia has been organizing “volunteer” battalions in the Novosibirsk, Saratov, Ulyanovsk, and Kurgan Oblasts to join the conflict in Ukraine.