The Russian Ministry of Defense has announced that its forces have successfully recaptured 10 settlements previously seized by Ukrainian troops during its surprise cross-border incursion into Russia's Kursk Oblast.
This marked a significant shift in the conflict as Ukrainian forces had initially made considerable advances in the region in its lightning incursion.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed the development, stating that the Russian counteroffensive aligns with Ukraine's broader strategy of diverting Russian manpower and resources away from the contested regions of southern and eastern Ukraine.
The Russian counteroffensive began under the command of the "Units of the North," who reclaimed the settlements over a two-day operation around the area of Snagost, a key western flank in the region occupied by Ukraine since the launch of their campaign on August 6. (Related: Russia claims to have destroyed two concealed U.S.-made HIMARS systems near the border with Kursk.)
The first signs of a Russian counterattack emerged when Maj. Gen. Apti Alaudinov, commander of the 141st Motorized Regiment, a unit within the Russian National Guard consisting of ethnic Chechens, reported that six Ukrainian brigades had suffered significant losses amid the regiment's push into Ukrainian-occupied Kursk.
A Ukrainian officer currently involved in the fighting in the Kursk Oblast, speaking anonymously to the BBC, confirmed the scale of the Russian counteroffensive, revealing that the fighting had started some distance west of Sudzha, a crucial area in the conflict.
Ukraine's incursion into Kursk resulted in Kyiv occupying nearly 1,300 square kilometers (500 square miles) of Russian territory.
Russian military expert Anatoly Matviychuk told Moskovsky Komsomolets that Russian forces had reclaimed more than 100 square kilometers (38.6 square miles) of territory and that "the enemy's reserves, reinforcements and logistical supplies can no longer reach Kursk region."
The counteroffensive could have significant consequences for Ukraine's ability to sustain its campaign outside of its borders.
Ukraine's incursion into Kursk unable to divert significant Russian forces from Donbas
Despite Ukraine's efforts in Kursk, it appears that Russian forces have not slowed down their offensive in the contested Donbas region, as Russian forces continued to make steady progress in eastern Donetsk.
Russian troops are reportedly maintaining their advance toward the strategic town of Pokrovsk, an important logistics hub for Ukrainian forces, highlighting Russia's broader military strategy of not being distracted from being able to regain momentum in the conflict.
Analysts from the United States-based Institute for the Study of War cautioned against drawing any definitive conclusions regarding the scope or potential outcomes of the Russian counteroffensive, citing the lack of clarity on its size and scale. They stressed that it remains too early to assess the full impact of Russia's actions.
Meanwhile, social media accounts linked to Ukrainian brigades reported that Russian forces had launched an unexpected attack near Snagost, and that Ukrainian forces were mounting a defense in response. This suggests that while Russia is advancing, Ukrainian forces are still actively fighting to hold ground.
Since Ukrainian forces entered the Kursk region, they had destroyed three bridges across the Seym River to prevent Russian reinforcements and supplies from reaching the area.
Ukrainian troops also targeted several pontoon bridges erected by the Russians in the aftermath. However, reports indicate that Russian forces were able to cross the Seym and other smaller rivers as part of their counteroffensive, suggesting they have managed to secure key strategic points.
Watch this report from "Borzzikman" discussing the heavy losses incurred by Ukrainian forces in Kursk.
This video is from the channel The Prisoner on Brighteon.com.
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