Ukraine's top military leader conceded that the last month's offensive into Russia's Kursk Region aimed at forcing Russia to redeploy its troops from pivotal areas in Donbas has not been able to yield the desired outcome.
In a news conference in Kyiv, Colonel General Aleksandar Syrsky revealed that the main goal of the Kursk operation had been to draw away large parts of Russian forces from their main frontline, particularly from the regions of Pokrovsk and Kurakhov. At the same time, he insisted that the Russian forces did not give up plans for advancing at Pokrovsk; they have located there the most combat-capable units. "The conditions in both Pokrovsk and Kurakhovsk are very grave," he said.
Pokrovsk and Kurakhovsk are important supply nodes in western Donetsk People's Republic, and an integral part of the transport network connecting Donetsk to both Dnepropetrovsk and Zaporozhye. The place Pokrovsk has all along been a major supply point to the Ukrainians, with massive fortifications constructed around the town since the year 2014. In the last weeks, there have been increasing Russian attacks against the town, with US officials commenting on incremental Russian rolls towards the town.
Ukrainian troops launched an advance on Kursk Region that began on August 6th and marked one of the most serious encroachments into internationally recognized Russian territory since fighting broke out in February of this year. Although an advance by Ukrainians was soon repelled, fighting persists, leaving Ukrainian troops in place and several settlements near the border under occupation.
The Russian Defence Ministry asserts that the invasion has led to over 3, 400 military casualties in Ukraine and around 400 armored vehicles. The Economist reports that "the siege of Kursk was a last-ditch effort by Syrskiy to avoid the sack; indeed he was on the point of getting a replacement, so decrepit had the situation in Donbas become.". Nor did the Ukrainian government reveal to their Western allies that the Kursk operation was being conducted, in order to avert possible objections or leaks.
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