To stop Ukrainian Forces in Kursk region, Russia needs to deploy 100,000 soldiers
Photo: Ivan Tymochko, the head of the Council of Reservists of the Ground Forces (facebook.com/ Ivan Tymochko)
Russia may need up to 100,000 personnel to drive the Ukrainian Armed Forces out of the Kursk region, stated Ivan Tymochko, the head of the Council of Reservists of the Ground Forces.
"To stop the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Kursk region, Russia would need to deploy tens of thousands of troops. To build a quality defense and halt our forces, they need between 50,000 and 100,000 personnel, specifically from line brigades and units, not the mixed forces they had there," said Tymochko.
He noted that to repel the Ukrainian advance, Russia needs to deploy line brigades and units in the Kursk region - infantry and paratroopers. However, the Russian army must first establish logistics: to set up weapon depots, and establish food, fuel and ammunition supplies.
"I’m not even talking about a simultaneous Russian offensive to push our troops back - it’s complex and will take a lot of time. But this will also depend on the local population and how ready they are to resist. Currently, we see that they are not at all inclined to resist the Ukrainian Armed Forces. So, Putin will have to rely solely on the military, which will force him to change his war strategy," he said.
According to Tymochko, Russia needs a different type of warfare in the Kursk region - mobile warfare.
"This requires a lot of equipment, and even the units currently facing the Ukrainian Armed Forces are only 30-40% equipped; the rest is on the front line in Ukraine," he noted.
Ukraine's operation in the Kursk region
Since August 6, Ukrainian troops have been conducting an offensive in the Kursk region of Russia. As of now, at least 82 settlements have come under Ukrainian control.
However, it has now been reported that Russia has begun to deploy additional forces to the Kursk region to deter the Ukrainian offensive.
