Operation in Kursk Oblast surprised not only Russians but also Ukrainian soldiers – WSJ

Ukrainian Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi's plan to attack Russia's Kursk Oblast surprised not only the Russians but also Ukrainian soldiers, reports The Wall Street Journal. Source: WSJ Quote from WSJ: "Syrskyi had evidently drawn conclusions from Ukraine's failed counteroffensive during the summer of 2023, when Ukraine consulted with the U.S. and other Western partners, deployed newly formed brigades and telegraphed its plans with videos and public comments.

Ukraine's top military commander gathered senior officers for a secret meeting in late July where he disclosed an audacious plan to revive the country's flagging war effort."

Details: Oleksandr Syrskyi said at the meeting that the Ukrainian army would turn the tide by entering Russian territory, something that had not happened since World War II. One of the participants, Lieutenant Colonel Artem Kholodkevych, Chief of Staff of the 61st Mechanised Brigade, said he was shocked at first. The WSJ emphasises that the bold operation also stunned Russia, as Ukrainian troops quickly overcame weak border defences and quickly took control of about 100 towns and villages in Russia's Kursk Oblast.

Quote from WSJ: "The invasion embarrassed Russian President Vladimir Putin, raised Ukrainians' morale after a year of grinding defensive war, and showed the US and other backers that Ukraine still has plenty of fight in it."

At the same time, The WSJ emphasises that a number of other factors will ultimately determine the success of the operation:

• Whether it will lead to lasting victories or more losses on the battlefield,
• whether it will bring political dividends that will lead to increased military support from the United States and its allies;
• whether it will strengthen Ukraine's position in any future peace talks.

The WSJ notes that in its fourth week, the operation continues to gain momentum, even though Russia has sent reinforcements. Ukrainian soldiers report that at least 2,000 Russian troops are trapped along the river, and repeated attempts by Russia to build pontoon bridges have failed. Some military strategists and soldiers have questioned the Kursk operation, saying that Syrskyi is diverting precious reserves of manpower and equipment to a new front while Russia takes advantage of Ukraine's weak defensive lines on the eastern front to push forward.

In response to the Ukrainian advance into Kursk, Russia has withdrawn several thousand troops from Ukraine but has intensified attacks on its main target, Pokrovsk, which is an important logistical hub for Ukrainian operations in the east. Others welcomed the move, saying Ukraine needed to use such a "joker" to change the war's course. "Ukraine couldn't afford simply to keep trying to buy time by throwing more men into defensive lines...

You are constantly having to make decisions about priorities, where to accept risk," said retired Lieutenant General Ben Hodges, the former commander of the US Army in Europe. The WSJ writes that Ukraine is now using Russia's unpreparedness to strike deeper into the rear, creating what President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called a buffer zone to prevent Russian military operations against Ukraine. The Ukrainian Armed Forces also continue to take more prisoners of war to build up a pool that Ukraine hopes to exchange for its citizens held in Russia.

Quote from WSJ: "Ukraine is using new tactics and equipment to gain an upper hand where Russian defences are weaker, including using small explosive drones to strike down helicopters and Russian surveillance drones." 

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