Forbes’ David Axe reports that Ukrainian forces may be marching into Russia’s Kursk Oblast and initiating a siege by thousands of Russian troops, an advance that began in early August and picked up steam again last week.
Forbes: Ukraine expands incursion into Russia with new thrust into Kursk Oblast
Last week, Ukrainian tactical forces based in the 95th Airborne Brigade began an offensive through the southern block of the Russian town of Veseroe near Novy Put. According to Forbes, the move appears to be part of a larger strategy to link up with Ukrainian forces in the main Kursk salient and potentially trap Russian forces between them and the border.
The Korn Group, a team of Ukrainian drone operators assisting in the attack, said on September 15:
“We have advanced several kilometers into new areas of Russia, where several thousand Russian conscripts are at risk of being surrounded.”
According to Forbes, the Seim River forms a natural border along the northern edge of the potential encirclement area, and the local topography favors Ukrainian operations: Ukrainians destroyed a permanent bridge across the river, forcing Russian forces to rely on a makeshift pontoon bridge or a narrow land bridge through the town of Korennevo for resupply.
The idea that Ukrainian forces may be planning to cut off the Glushkovo district, which is isolated from the rest of Kursk Oblast by a conflict zone on both sides of the Seim River and to the east, became apparent when they began targeting and destroying bridges over the river.
Ukraine has sealed off almost the entire Grushkovo district of Kursk, Russia claims
While Ukraine’s strategy looks promising, the balance of power in Kursk could affect the success of the operation: Ukraine is committing around 10,000 troops to the invasion, while Russia has reportedly deployed around 38,000 troops in the province, many of whom are poorly trained young conscripts, Forbes noted.
But Ukraine faces major challenges in terms of equipment and manpower, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky saying only four of the 14 new Ukrainian brigades have enough modern vehicles.
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