Russia has begun withdrawing some of its troops from the front in Ukraine to counter an offensive by Ukrainian forces in the Kursk region, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing U.S. officials who spoke on condition of anonymity. This indicates that the Ukrainian operation on the territory of Russia is achieving at least partial success.
According to information, the Ukrainian offensive, which has been ongoing since last week, caught Moscow by surprise. Ukrainian forces have already taken control of 74 settlements and more than 1,000 square kilometers of territory within the Russian Kursk region. In addition, it is reported that Ukrainian troops have already entered the neighboring Belgorod region, where the Russian authorities have declared a state of emergency, began evacuating the population and are sending reinforcements.
American officials note that it is still unclear how many Russian troops will be redeployed and how much this step will affect the overall situation at the front. However, it is already obvious that one of the goals of the Ukrainian operation – the weakening of the Russian group in the east of Ukraine – has been partially achieved.
In his speech on August 13, the spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Heorhiy Tykhy, said that the invasion was aimed at preventing Moscow from sending reinforcements to the front in the Donetsk region. Kyiv also seeks to disrupt Russia’s logistics chains and stop Russian attacks across the border, but the Ukrainian side emphasizes that it has no intention of remaining on Russian territory.
“Unlike Russia, Ukraine does not seek to seize territories. We want to protect the lives of our people,” Tykhy said.
Despite the redeployment of Russian troops, the situation at the front in Donbas remains difficult. The spokesperson of the Ukrainian brigade in Toretsk noted that the movement of Russian troops has not affected the fighting in this sector, although the Russian air force has increased its strikes.
The operation of the Ukrainian forces in the Kursk region is taking place against the background of the aggravation of the situation in the east of Ukraine, where Russian troops are advancing in the direction of Pokrovsk. According to the monitoring site DeepState, Russian units approached the strategically important city to a distance of 15 kilometers.
The Russian authorities are trying to maintain confidence about the situation in the Kursk region, claiming counterattacks and significant losses among Ukrainian troops. At the same time, Kyiv published photos of captured Russian soldiers, which confirms the success of Ukrainian forces.
The operation, which is the first foreign military incursion into Russian territory since World War II, puts Russian President Vladimir Putin in a difficult position. Some sources suggest that this could prompt the Kremlin to announce a new wave of mobilization to strengthen its army.
