The attack on Kursk surprised even Ukraine’s closest allies, and pushed the limits of how Western military equipment is allowed to be used on Russian soil.
Already a subscriber?Last week, Ukraine launched an audacious military offensive, planned and executed in secrecy, with the aim of upending the dynamics of a war it has appeared to be losing, town by town, as Russian troops have ground forward in the east. The operation surprised even Ukraine’s closest allies, including the United States, and has pushed the limits of how Western military equipment would be permitted to be used inside Russian territory.
This offensive is a major gamble, especially since Russia dominates much of the front line in Ukraine and has made significant inroads in the east. “This is a good example of how a modern successful operation requires extreme operational security measures and deception,” said Pasi Paroinen, an analyst from the Black Bird Group, a Finland-based organisation that analyses battlefield footage.Maps of the battlefield compiled by independent analysts show soldiers from brigades long fighting in the east had moved discreetly into Ukraine’s Sumy region, just across the border from Kursk.
The Ukrainians hid in plain sight. Officers were told to avoid wearing military uniforms when entering towns and cities so they didn’t draw attention, said one officer, who identified himself by his call sign, Tykhyi, in keeping with military protocol. Away from the fighting, the Kursk region posed an easier target than elsewhere along the 1000-kilometre front in the east and south of Ukraine, said Brady Africk, an American analyst who maps Russia’s defences.
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