Vladimir Putin takes action. After the attack by Ukraine, which for three days has taken control of over ten settlements in the Kursk region in Russia, the Kremlin is demanding a response.
The president chaired the Security Council meeting in which the commanders of the armed forces provided updates on the sending of men and equipment to the oblast invaded by Kiev soldiers. Ukraine is not providing information on the offensive and it is not clear how many brigades are involved in the operation whose contours are still unclear. Moscow, in the last 72 hours, has oscillated between initial denials and subsequent ‘lower-level’ news: the Ministry of Defense referred to the entry of about 1,000 Ukrainian soldiers, who were pushed back. The picture painted by the very famous military blogs, which have often provided concrete elements since the beginning of the war, is different.
The Kiev advance
Kiev’s troops, who had no trouble overcoming opposition from conscripts and the ‘choreographed’ Chechen soldiers of the Akbat battalion – known more for their TikTok videos than for their exploits in battle – are said to have penetrated at least 10 km, taking control of an area of about 260 square km.
In the last few hours, a video released on Telegram and cited by international media refers to the destruction of a column of Russian vehicles in the oblast: trucks intended for the transport of men, as seen in the clip, are reduced to burnt sheets of metal, with dozens of soldiers killed. Meanwhile, from the area of the city of Suzhda, the flight of civilians continues: long lines of cars to leave the region.
Zelensky’s goals
The Washington Post cites the assessments of Russian analysts who have raised the alarm: if Moscow does not quickly send troops to the region, the situation could quickly degenerate. Kiev forces could have time to build fortifications and consolidate their positions: they could successfully defend Russian territories and offer the president Volodymyr Zelensky an important card to play on the negotiating table.
In the immediate future, Kiev’s maneuver could force the enemy to move men and equipment from Donetsk, a very hot front in the war. Ukrainian troops are not far from the Kurchatov nuclear power plant in the Kursk region and would already control an artery used by Moscow to supply the armed forces in eastern Ukraine.
Moscow’s mistakes
While waiting for the picture to become clearer, Russia is experiencing war on its own soil after 2 and a half years and the effects are also evident in the political-military debate. Andrey Gurulyov, a member of the Duma and former commander of the Southern Military District, criticizes the generals’ management in the Kursk Oblast and wonders why no action was taken based on intelligence information.
Analyst Sergei Markov points out the obvious shortcomings: “It is a hard blow because it is clear that signals were sent from intelligence to the leadership. No measures were taken: it is a failure of the entire intelligence system. And since Putin is ultimately responsible for all this, It’s a blow for Putin too“. How long would it take Russia to retake Kursk? “If they act with the speed they are attacking elsewhere, it could take up to a year.”
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