According to the journalists of The Wall Street Journal, the offensive of the Ukrainian military in the Kursk region began so suddenly and unexpectedly that the Russian soldiers on the border were forced to flee in panic.
Points of attention
- The sudden and unexpected offensive by the Ukrainian military in Kurshchyna led to mass panic among Russian soldiers on the border, causing many to flee.
- Ukraine seeks to divert Russian resources from other front lines by opening a new front in Kurshchyna, which has stretched its military forces but boosted morale among Ukrainian troops.
- The rapid advancement of Ukrainian forces in the Kursk region poses logistical challenges in maintaining supply lines and finding fresh troops to support the offensive.
- The liberation of territory in the Kursk region by the Ukrainian Armed Forces has drawn praise for its tactical brilliance and courage, with calls for increased support from the international community.
- As Ukrainian forces continue their advance in Kurshchyna, they face tough decisions on whether to expand further or consolidate their gains, with the need to balance manpower, equipment, and logistical requirements.
What is known about the lightning-fast start of the offensive of the Armed Forces in Kurshchyna
It is noted that the offensive operation began at three o'clock in the morning and the most serious obstacle turned out to be a series of concrete pyramids, which were supposed to become an obstacle to the advance of tanks.
The Ukrainian military quickly destroyed one of them with several tank shots, and then drove through the created gap.
At the same time, Russian conscript soldiers at the border either fled en masse or surrendered.
For two and a half years, Russia has not built a single line of defense, - says the 33-year-old commander of the Ukrainian platoon with the call sign "Yanik".
In a few days, the Ukrainian military managed to capture dozens of villages.
The offensive was a shock to Russian society and the authorities and raised the morale of the Ukrainian military.
Military and analysts have begun to question how sustainable Russia's advantage in manpower and weapons is over much of the rest of the front line.
Currently, the occupying army of the Russian Federation is trying with all its might to restrain the advance of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Kursk region.
But some Ukrainian soldiers who were waiting to join the battle from Sumy said that they were withdrawn from already broken units on the eastern front.
This shows that Kyiv has already faced problems of finding fresh troops to maintain the momentum.
Still, footage of Ukrainian soldiers breaking into Russian territory and tearing down flags from village councils boosted morale among Kyiv's army and embarrassed Russian ruler Vladimir Putin.
It is noted that on Monday "Yanik" was in a village near the Russian border, preparing to go to the Ukrainian-controlled city of Suja.
In videos he has posted online of his campaigns in Russia, the soldier can be seen driving along dark, deserted roads, stopping to take signs of conquered villages as trophies.
Now we will hang out on your land, as you hang out on ours, says the soldier.
What should Ukraine do to consolidate the successes of the offensive in the Kursk region
The authors of the material emphasize that the dynamics of the offensive are reminiscent of the liberation of the Kharkiv region by the Ukrainian military in 2022.
According to Oleksandr Syrskyi, head of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, at least 1,000 square kilometers of territory in the Kursk region is now under the control of the Ukrainian military.
During a visit to Kyiv on Monday, Sen. Lindsey Graham called the invasion "brilliant" and "courageous," calling on the Biden administration to provide Ukraine with more weapons.
By breaching the border, Kyiv seeks to divert Moscow's resources from other areas of the front line, where Ukrainian forces are under severe pressure. But the opening of a new front runs the risk of stretching Ukrainian forces even more, the publication says.
Meanwhile, in Donetsk region, as the authors of the material emphasize, the criminal army of the Russian Federation continues to advance to Pokrovsk, which serves as a key logistics center for the Armed Forces in the region.
Ukraine's final plans are unclear. But regardless of whether Kyiv seeks to expand its incursion or preserve what it already has, it will face trade-offs. The manpower, equipment and logistical requirements to try to support an invasion and then hold the captured territory will be significant, particularly because of the lengthening of supply lines, said David Blagden, a senior lecturer in international security at the University of Exeter in the UK.
According to two Ukrainian soldiers who were waiting for the order to join the hostilities in the Kursk region, they have just arrived from the front line in the Pokrovsk region, where the Russian occupiers are putting intense pressure on the positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Another soldier said he was surprised to learn he was being transferred to Sumy Oblast because his unit was so short-staffed that the infantry spent 45 days in the trenches. It was in Time Ravine.
In Kursk, according to him, there is a greater concentration of troops, Ukrainian forces are advancing further.
Compared to the east, the sky is less saturated with drones, making it almost impossible to hide the movement.
However, his unit faces some problems. His Soviet-developed automatic grenade launcher turned out to be unsuitable for combat.
The deputy commander of the unit participating in the offensive said that his unit was sent there about two months ago, but he learned about the Kursk operation shortly before it began.
