Kursk operation didn’t force the enemy to redeploy troops from Pokrovsk, but it’s not over yet — Popovych
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Military observer Denys Popovych believes the Kursk
operation is necessary for several important reasons and argues against
comparing the significance of the Kursk region to that of Pokrovsk.
“The first thing is that this [operation in the Kursk
region] is an offensive. We immediately see a shift in our morale and
psychological state. It’s one thing to hear every day that the enemy is
advancing in the Pokrovsk direction and we are holding them back, even
retreating... <...> But now, we’re talking about prisoners, counting
captured enemy territories, and discussing our advances,” Popovych said during
a Radio NV broadcast.
According to Popovych, the second key aspect of this
offensive is the leverage it provides in terms of both prisoners and
territories:
“It’s one thing to enter negotiations holding no cards
because of occupied territory, and it’s another when we have captured enemy
territory. We can then say, ‘Dear friends or not-so-dear friends, the realities
on the ground have changed. <...> We’ve taken your territory, so let’s
base our discussions on these new facts.’”
He also mentioned another factor:
“The third point is the initiative. Both in terms of
offensive actions and the fact that the Russians are forced to redeploy troops
from other parts of the front to contain us in the Kursk region.”
Therefore, the expert concluded that the Kursk region and
the Pokrovsk direction are separate matters:
“Unfortunately, our plan didn’t work in forcing the enemy to
redeploy troops to Kursk Oblast from the Pokrovsk direction. But it’s not over
yet. We can open a new front and force the Russians to redeploy troops there.
This front could be on Ukrainian territory—either in the south or the east.”
On Aug. 12, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy
confirmed for the first time that a Defense Forces operation was underway in
Kursk Oblast. He emphasized that the goal of the operation, which began on Aug.
6, is to liberate Ukraine’s border areas from Russian troops, who had been
regularly shelling Sumy Oblast.
On Aug. 27, Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces
Oleksandr Syrskyi reported that Ukrainian troops had taken control of 100
settlements—covering 1,294 square kilometers—in Kursk Oblast. However, he noted
that the situation in the Pokrovsk direction remains challenging.
Syrskyi also stated that Russia has already redeployed about
30,000 troops to the Kursk front from Ukrainian territories.
The New York Times reported that Russia would likely need
between 15 and 20 brigades—at least 50,000 troops—to expel Ukraine from Kursk
Oblast, and currently, it does not have such numbers.
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