 Russia sends elite units to the border with Ukraine. Russia has deployed units of two special forces brigades of the main intelligence directorate of the armed forces of the Russian Federation to the border areas of Kursk Oblast. According to the Institute for the Study of War, ISW, in this way, the Russian Federation is trying to consolidate part of the Ukrainian troops in the border areas and disperse them in critical areas of the contact line. The Ukraine's National Resistance Centre announced on 19 May that units of the 3rd and 22nd Special Guards Brigades were deployed in the village of Tyotkino, Kursk Oblast of the Russian Federation to prevent subversive activities of Ukrainian resistance and raise the morale of Russian troops. According to the ISW, such Russian deployment in the border areas are most likely an attempt to consolidate part of the Ukrainian troops in the border areas and disperse them in critical areas of the contact line. The ISW noted that earlier units of the 3rd Guards Special Purpose Brigade were stationed near the town of Kremina in Luhansk Oblast and units of the 22nd Guards Special Purpose Brigade were located near the city of Orykiv on the west of Zaporizia Oblast. It is unclear why Russian leadership may have made the decision to remove such elements from active sectors of the front line to Russian rear areas and it may be possible that these units suffered previous losses in recent operations and have been withdrawn and redeployed in order to rest the refit. The deployment of these units to border areas is unlikely to have the desired informational or operational effects. The ISW said.