Ignorance poses greatest threat to Russia: Expert estimates whether Ukrainian troops will leave Kursk region
Illustrative photo (facebook.com/easternforce)
Russia is unaware of the Ukrainian military command’s plans for the Kursk region, posing the greatest threat to them, as military expert and Ukrainian Armed Forces reserve major Oleksii Hetman told RBC-Ukraine.
Combat operations in the Kursk region and other front line areas on temporarily occupied territories differ greatly. For instance, on the eastern and southern fronts, the battles can be described as positional - Ukraine's forces hold their ground and retreat if necessary. Meanwhile, in the Kursk region, Ukrainian soldiers try to avoid direct clashes with Russian forces due to Russia's considerable advantage in manpower.
“There is not only fortified, positional defense but also mobile defense, maneuverable defense, and defense on spots. Even during active defense, the enemy suffers greater losses than in a purely positional approach, where maintaining specific positions is not required - for example, in Sudzha,” he explained, noting that the Kursk region is not part of Ukraine and that the operation aims to force the Russians to station significant forces there, subsequently inflicting damage on them.
As Hetmansays, Russians are unaware of Ukraine’s plans, which is their greatest danger. Ukrainian forces might decide to advance even deeper into enemy territory or along the border. Ukrainian troops are not bound to specific positions, allowing them to maneuver freely. Even if the military decides to exit the Kursk region, they could then attack Russia from another direction.
“This means that the strategy and, even more so, the tactics of fighting on the eastern front and our operation in the Kursk region are entirely different,” he added.
The military expert stresses that those who claim to know the Ukrainian Armed Forces' plans for the Kursk region know nothing, as those truly in the know do not reveal such information.
Operation in Russia's Kursk region
Today, Ukraine's Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi revealed that in May 2024, Ukrainian intelligence confirmed Russia's plans to launch an offensive from the Kursk region into the Sumy region. Russia's goal was to create a "buffer zone" in northern Ukraine. So, Ukraine made a decision to begin an operation on Russia's territory.
As of November 5, after nearly three months of operations on the Kursk front, Russian forces have lost 20,842 personnel. Of these, 7,905 were killed, 12,220 wounded, and 717 were taken prisoner.
After Syrskyi published a report, Ukraine's MP Mariana Bezuhla claimed there might be plans to withdraw forces from the Kursk region.
