US General explains objectives of Ukrainian Armed Forces' operation in Kursk region
Photo: Former US Army Commander in Europe Ben Hodges (Getty Images)
Currently, three objectives of the Ukrainian Armed Forces' counteroffensive in Russia's Kursk region can be identified, states former US Army Commander in Europe Ben Hodges in a column for RBC-Ukraine.
"I think that, based on what I see, there are three objectives of this counter-offensive," Hodges noted.
According to him, the first goal of the Ukrainian Armed Forces' offensive is to establish a bridgehead on the Russian side of the border, which would:
- take away a large portion of the territory that has so far been a "sanctuary" for Russian drones and missiles launched at Ukrainian cities;
- threaten/disrupt Russian oil, gas, and nuclear energy infrastructure in the Kursk region;
- allow Ukrainians to move their own long-range weapons closer to Russia to strike Russian airfields, oil and gas infrastructure, and transportation infrastructure, despite the restrictions from the US, UK, and Germany on using the long-range weapons provided by them.
The second goal, according to Hodges, is to change the dynamics and narrative of this war.
"It destroys the myth of a stalemate and inevitability of Russian victory, shows/reveals the many vulnerabilities on the Russian side in terms of Command and Control, logistics, and drone supremacy. How did the UAF achieve such amazing surprise despite Russia having so many drones. We need to learn how UAF (Ukrainian Armed Forces) have created some sort of counter-drone capabilities which degrade Russian surveillance," the retired American general noted.
The third objective of the Ukrainian Armed Forces is to divert Russian forces from other areas to fight against the Kursk bridgehead.
"I don’t know that this is a key objective for the UAF General Staff. In fact, they may be content to let their forces out defending the Pokrovsk area," Hodges added.
Ukrainian Armed Forces operation in the Kursk region
Fighting has been ongoing in the Kursk region for three weeks now. The Ukrainian Armed Forces broke through the border and have taken control of 100 settlements in the Russian region.
The goal of the operation is to protect the residents of Ukraine's border regions from Russian shelling and to create a buffer zone.
As President Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted, Ukrainian soldiers in the Kursk region are not only restoring justice as part of the operation. They are also achieving effective results.
At the same time, Zelenskyy emphasized that the actions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Kursk region are part of a large military-diplomatic operation.
Moreover, the Ukrainian Armed Forces' operation in the Kursk region has led Moscow to withdraw about 30,000 troops from the front in Ukraine and redeploy them to this direction.
