Kursk counteroffensive begins: Russia targets Ukrainian troops

[RYAN ROBERTSON]

RUSSIAN FORCES LAUNCHED A MAJOR COUNTER-OFFENSIVE IN THE KURSK REGION, TARGETING UKRAINIAN TROOPS. THIS MARKS THE KREMLIN’S FIRST SIGNIFICANT ACTION IN OVER FIVE WEEKS SINCE THE START OF KYIV’S INCURSION, AIMING TO DISLODGE UKRAINIAN FORCES FROM THE AREA.

THE OPERATION STARTED SEPTEMBER 10TH , WITH ENGAGEMENTS SPILLING OVER INTO THE NEXT DAY ACCORDING TO A TOP RUSSIAN MILITARY COMMANDER. THE CONFLICT’S DYNAMICS REMAIN VAGUE, WITH REPORTS SUGGESTING THE TROOPS MIGHT BE FROM THE FRONT LINES IN EASTERN UKRAINE OR RESERVES BROUGHT IN FROM OTHER PARTS OF RUSSIA.

ACCORDING TO MILITARY SOURCES, ELEMENTS OF THE 155TH MARINE BRIGADE, TRADITIONALLY BASED IN VLADIVOSTOK AND VETERANS OF THE UKRAINE CONFLICT, ARE PARTICIPATING IN THE OFFENSIVE. HOWEVER, THE RUSSIAN DEFENSE MINISTRY HAS YET TO CONFIRM THESE ACTIONS. UKRAINIAN OFFICIALS DID NOT IMMEDIATELY ACKNOWLEDGE THE COUNTEROFFENSIVE EITHER

REPORTS FROM THE RYBAR TELEGRAM CHANNEL, A RUSSIAN MILITARY BLOGGER CHANNEL BOASTING ONE MILLION SUBSCRIBERS, INDICATE RUSSIAN FORCES RECAPTURED AT LEAST TWO AREAS AND CLAIMED SUCCESS WITH MINIMAL RESISTANCE.

THIS COUNTEROFFENSIVE OCCURS IN THE BACKDROP OF A LARGER ONGOING CONFLICT, WHERE UKRAINE MANAGED A HISTORIC MILITARY PUSH INTO RUSSIA—THE FIRST OF ITS KIND SINCE WORLD WAR II—SEIZING CONTROL OF APPROXIMATELY 500 SQUARE MILES OF RUSSIAN TERRITORY IN AUGUST.

ANALYSTS FROM DEEPSTATE, A MAPPING SERVICE AFFILIATED WITH THE UKRAINIAN DEFENSE MINISTRY, REPORT RUSSIAN TROOPS CROSSED THE SEYM RIVER IN KURSK WITH ARMORED UNITS — further complicating UKRAINE’S TACTICAL advantage — PARTICULARLY AFTER THEIR ATTEMPTS TO DESTROY BRIDGES TO SLOW RUSSIAN ADVANCES.

PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN CLAIMED UKRAINE’S ACTIONS IN KURSK DIDN’T IMPEDE RUSSIA’S ADVANCES IN EASTERN UKRAINE. INSTEAD, HE ARGUED, THEY WEAKENED KYIV’S DEFENSES, ENABLING RUSSIAN FORCES TO ACCELERATE THEIR OFFENSIVE IN THE DONBAS REGION, A KEY STRATEGIC GOAL FOR MOSCOW.

DESPITE THESE DEVELOPMENTS, RUSSIA CONTINUES ITS MILITARY OPERATIONS IN EASTERN UKRAINE, PARTICULARLY PUSHING TOWARDS POKROVSK IN THE DONETSK REGION.