In Russia, a new 71st motorized Division is formed: what it says-Defense Express

The authors of the publication noted that the 200th Motorized Rifle Brigade played a significant role in the initial period of invasion of Ukraine. In the spring of 2022, the union suffered heavy losses during the onset of Kharkiv, which actually led to the loss of its capacity. Nevertheless, the brigade was later restored and involved in the battles during the ravine. Information about its current status remains contradictory.

At the beginning of May 2025, the brigade units participated in the military parade in Minsk, while at the end of the same month reports of participation of its personnel in hostilities in the Sumy direction appeared. Meanwhile, a formal basis to speak about the creation of a new was the change in the name of the 200th Brigade Telegrams-it is now marked as a channel of the 71st Motorized Rifle Division.

However, no additional confirmation or structural data that would indicate the full deployment of a new connection has not yet been published. According to Russian sources, the Leningrad Military District (Lenvo), reproduced in the framework of the reform of the command structure, now allegedly consists of five motor-rifle divisions-the 18th, 68th, 69th, 71st and 72nd, as well as the 80th Arctic Brigade and 128th.

In addition, there are 76th landing divisions, a 61st brigade of the Marines of the Northern Fleet and the 336th Brigade of the Marines of the Baltic Fleet. Thus, Defense Express came to the conclusion-if the creation of the 71st Division is indeed on the basis of the 200th brigade, it may indicate the efforts of the command of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation to compensate for the losses and increase the number of land forces involved in the war against Ukraine.