Russian General weakens Kursk region defense shortly before Ukrainian breakthrough - WSJ
Photo: Russian Colonel General Aleksandr Lapin (Russian media)
Russian Colonel General Aleksandr Lapin, who oversaw security in the Kursk region, dissolved the council responsible for defending the vulnerable border area months before Ukraine's operation, according to The Wall Street Journal.
According to the agency by himself, Lapin did not "open the gates" to Ukraine during its lightning offensive in the Kursk region. The problem, often present in Russia's military "vertical" leadership, was the newly appointed general's lack of awareness of the realities on the battlefield.
The report notes that it is unknown whether the interagency council dissolved by Lapin (which brought together military officers and local and regional security officials) would have helped organize a coordinated response from Moscow to the Ukrainian offensive. However, without a centralized body responsible for Russia's response, Moscow's efforts to push back Kyiv's forces have been chaotic and ineffective.
It is also noted separately that since the beginning of the events in the Kursk region, the Chief of the Russian General Staff, Valery Gerasimov, has not appeared in public. The initial reaction during the breakthrough was reminiscent of the first hours of the uprising led by Wagner PMC chief Yevgeny Prigozhin.
Unexpected trap for Russian military
The agency writes that Lapin knew that Ukrainian forces were building up near the Russian border and even sent such messages to Moscow. Despite this, the Kremlin took no action, perceiving Kyiv's maneuvers as psychological warfare tactics. In the absence of resistance, this led to a rapid breakthrough by Ukrainian forces in the Kursk region.
Ultimately, according to the agency, poorly armed Russians could not stop the Ukrainian advance, which used electronic jamming to disable communications. Lightly armed Russian soldiers, most of whom were conscripts, simply found themselves trapped.
"It wasn't the first time poor planning and a lack of men had come together under Lapin's command", the agency writes.
Notably, in early September 2022, he led the Russian troops on the Kharkiv front. At that time, Ukrainian forces quickly broke through the Russian defenses and liberated almost the entire region within days.
After this defeat, Ramzan Kadyrov, the leader of the Chechen security forces, called for Lapin's resignation.
Ukrainian Armed Forces Operation in the Kursk Region
It should be noted that since August 6, Ukrainian forces have been conducting an offensive operation in the Kursk region. The goal of such actions is to create a buffer zone in the Russian border area to stop enemy shelling of the Sumy and Kharkiv regions from the air.
During the operation, Ukrainian forces captured a large number of Russian soldiers, thus replenishing the funds for prisoner exchanges.
Additionally, the Special Operations Forces officially confirmed that several bridges and pontoon crossings over the Seym River were destroyed using HIMARS systems.
According to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), the Russians have transferred some units from eastern Ukraine to the Kursk region.
