Russia moves over 5,000 soldiers from fronts in Ukraine to Kursk region - ISW

In their report, analysts refer to material from The Wall Street Journal. According to a source familiar with the Ukrainian operation in the Kursk region, Russian forces have redeployed several understrength brigades totaling around 5,000 personnel from other parts of Ukraine to Kursk. This redeployment occurred between August 6 and August 13.

The WSJ source also indicated that Russian forces moved an understrength brigade from Donetsk. ISW suggests that this may have been the so-called Pyatnashka Brigade of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR), which the institute observed arriving around August 8, alongside other smaller Russian irregular units from Donetsk.

As of August 15, units from the 200th Motorized Rifle Brigade have also arrived in the Kursk region. ISW noted that these units had been engaged in battles near Chasiv Yar in Donetsk in recent months.

Additionally, WSJ's information about 5,000 troops aligns with reports that Russian forces have redeployed up to 11 battalions to the front lines in Kursk.

Analysts highlighted that on August 17, the Russian Tigr Battalion of the 155th Naval Infantry announced the redeployment of its units to Kursk. Earlier, on July 31, ISW observed these units operating near Vovchansk in the Kharkiv region.

In summary, experts noted that the Russians began redeploying additional forces to Kursk from the first week of the operation, likely totaling over 5,000 personnel.

The Institute for the Study of War has continued to track Ukrainian advances in Kursk on August 17 and 18. The report indicates that Ukrainian forces are operating across the full extent of their declared advance in the region.

The Economist has also provided insights into how the Ukrainian operation in Kursk was prepared.