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War in Ukraine

Ukraine Launched an Offensive into Kursk Region a Week Ago, Capturing 1,000 km² of Russian Territory. What Else Do We Know?

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Illia_ kabachynskyi
Illia Kabachynskyi
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Ukraine Launched an Offensive into Kursk Region a Week Ago, Capturing 1,000 km² of Russian Territory. What Else Do We Know?

Ukrainian forces continue their military operation on the territory of the Russian Federation. Here’s what we know so far.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky officially announced the launch of an offensive operation in Russia’s Kursk Region. The operation began on August 6th, but Ukrainian officials at the highest level only recently made the news public. The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Syrskyi, presented the report.

According to Syrskyi, as of August 12th, the Ukrainian Armed Forces control nearly 1,000 km² of Russian territory. This is significantly more than previous reports that appeared in the media indicated.

On the same day, August 12th, a statement was made by the Governor of Russia’s Kursk Region, Alexei Smirnov. During a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Smirnov stated that the Ukrainian forces had managed to penetrate 12 km into the region, with the frontline spanning about 40 km.

Reports from other sources, particularly Russian pro-government Telegram channels, suggest that the depth of the Ukrainian advance is much greater and could be around 30 km. Sources from The Economist report that in some areas, Ukrainian forces have advanced even further—up to 40 km into the region.

Meanwhile, according to the Governor of the Kursk Region, Ukrainian forces have already taken control of 28 settlements. The Ukrainian service DeepState, which monitors the battlefield situation, reports that the number is significantly higher—44 settlements are under Ukrainian control.

Russia has already evacuated 121,000 residents from the Kursk region, with plans to evacuate another 180,000 in the near future. According to Smirnov, the fate of 2,000 residents in areas where fighting is ongoing is unknown. The Ukrainian Center for Countering Disinformation reports that the Russian side is preparing provocations that will allege that the Ukrainian army is committing crimes against civilians, as well as planning to stage provocations at the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant—which is located 70 km from the border and approximately 30 km from the current position of the Ukrainian army.

At this time, it remains unclear what forces the Ukrainian military has deployed for the operation. Neither the General Staff nor Western media sources, who managed to speak with several representatives from the Ukrainian leadership, provide precise data on this.

However, according to The Atlantic and The Wall Street Journal, it is known that Ukraine has deployed a significant amount of modern equipment for the operation, including Marder and Bradley vehicles, among others. They are also actively using modern electronic warfare and air defense systems, which enabled a rapid advance by breaching enemy defenses. Western partners do not object to the Ukrainian military using their equipment in this offensive.

Ukraine had the element of surprise in planning the operation; Russian forces were unprepared for such a bold attack. Additionally, Ukrainian intelligence managed to identify the positions least prepared for such an assault and initiated the offensive from those points. The success of the operation has significantly boosted the morale of the Ukrainian armed forces.

The objectives of the operation remain unknown, as neither Volodymyr Zelenskyy nor Oleksandr Syrskyi have commented on this matter. Most of the information remains shrouded in the "fog of war"—unknown.

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