"Forbes" publication on goals of Ukrainian offensive on Kursk region of Russia

Since the beginning of the raid into the Kursk region, the Ukrainian forces have achieved some success, passing, according to various estimates, from 10 to 25 km, capturing Sudja and several other villages. However, as "Forbes" analyst David Axe writes, regardless of Kiev's goals, they are at great risk.

Today, the Ukrainian army cannot fully equip units to protect front-line cities in the Donetsk direction. However, there were several brigades to attack the Kursk region.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine believes that this offensive may force Moscow to transfer troops from the Donetsk region and slow down Russian successes in this direction.

In order for this tactic to bring success to Kiev, the Russians must transfer many troops from the Donetsk direction. If the Russians stop the Ukrainian offensive in Kursk without bringing in additional forces, the offensive in Kursk will lose its meaning, David Axe said.

If we assume that the attack on Kursk is an attempt to seize and hold Russian land, then the Ukrainians will be able to use this in future negotiations with Moscow to exchange territories. "Ukrainian commanders expect that they will be able to go on the offensive in the north without incurring heavy losses.

However, an open attack is always more expensive than defending from prepared positions," the analyst writes, emphasizing that given the critical shortage of personnel in Ukraine, heavy losses in this operation can complicate the situation in the war. "The good news for the Ukrainian brigades in Kursk is that they are still in control of the situation, but everything can change," the author notes.

On August 6, the Ukrainian troops carried out a daring raid and continue to advance in the Kursk region. They occupied 350 square kilometers of the Russian territory, several locations, including the city of Sudja. Up to 300 Russian soldiers were captured, a large amount of equipment and two helicopters were destroyed.