Ban on long-range missile strikes against Russia undermines Kursk operation - Bloomberg
The West should allow Ukraine to strike deep behind Russian lines with long-range missiles (photo: army.mil)
The delay by Western partners in granting permission for Ukraine to strike Russian military targets deep behind enemy lines with Western missiles could undermine the gains of the Ukrainian Armed Forces' operation in the Kursk region, reports Bloomberg.
Bloomberg analyst Marc Champion refers to a recent statement by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, suggesting that the operation in the Kursk region would be unnecessary if allies lifted restrictions on the use of long-range missiles to target key Russian firepower sources well behind the front lines.
Champion argues that Zelenskyy’s assessment of the Kursk gambit rightly focuses on whether this move can force Russian President Vladimir Putin to withdraw troops from the eastern front of Ukraine. Success could relieve pressure on a front line that is gradually bending against the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
“So far that isn’t working. Russia has instead intensified attacks in the Donbas while scraping together a motley crew of forces from elsewhere to halt the Ukrainian advance in Kursk. But the focus may in some ways be misplaced,” writes Champion.
He notes that if the Kursk offensive can, as Zelenskyy hopes, mobilize ally support, increase arms supplies, and persuade the West to lift restrictions on long-range missiles, it could lead to more significant outcomes.
“By neutralizing Russia’s key advantages Ukraine would be able to relieve pressure on its defenses even without Russia diverting troops. Kyiv also might be left with a small amount of territory to trade in future negotiations. That admittedly optimistic scenario would secure tactical military gains, as well as strategic ones with potential to affect the outcome of the war as a whole,” Champion believes.
However, if the operation in the Kursk region does not push the West to lift restrictions on long-range missile strikes against Russian targets in the rear, the analyst warns that these potential strategic benefits could be lost.
Ukrainian military offensive in the Kursk region
For two weeks, the Ukrainian Armed Forces have been conducting a military operation to take control of settlements in the Kursk region. The goal is to push enemy forces away from the border with the Sumy region, halt regular shelling of the Ukrainian border, and draw troops away from other parts of the front.
The US and European partners have banned the Ukrainian Armed Forces from using Western weapons for strikes on Russian territory. However, recently some EU countries have begun to grant permissions for such actions.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces have officially confirmed that Russian bridges and pontoon crossings over the Seim River have been destroyed using HIMARS rocket systems. Meanwhile, the US does not permit the Defense Forces to attack rear areas in Russia with ATACMS ballistic missiles. Negotiations are ongoing to secure such permission.
In the meantime, the Russian army has already redeployed some of its units from the Donetsk region to the Kursk region.
