Ukrainian Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi considered several options for an offensive on Russian territory, and the operation itself was carried out to weaken Russia’s grip on Donbas. This is stated in the article by The Economist, according to Komersant ukrainskyi
According to the newspaper, in early July 2024, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Syrskyi, faced serious challenges. The army had problems with mobilisation, which led to a shortage of personnel, the US was delaying military aid, and the situation at the front was deteriorating – Avdiivka was in danger of falling, and the defence line in Donetsk region, especially around Pokrovsk, was weakening.
At this critical moment, rumours were circulating about Syrsky’s possible dismissal. Sources close to the head of the President’s Office, Andriy Yermak, even accused the general of “lying” to his superiors.
In these circumstances, Syrsky began to develop a counter-offensive plan, considering several options: an attack in the Bryansk region, in the Kursk region, or a combination of these areas. The main goal was to distract Russian forces from Donbas and create a negotiating position for the future.
Syrsky kept his plans in the strictest confidence, entrusting them only to a narrow circle of generals and security officers. He personally communicated with President Zelenskyy, avoiding the presence of his staff. Intelligence was conducted mainly by army units, not by the GUR, which was only involved in the operation at a late stage.
Interestingly, Western allies were deliberately kept in the dark.
“Sirsky had a negative experience when two previous operations were undermined by the West – one was leaked to the Russians, the other was ordered cancelled,”
– a source told The Economist.
Disinformation tactics played a key role. Reinforcements arrived in the border forests under the pretext of defending against a possible Russian attack on Sumy. Ukrainian media spread information about the threat of invasion.
“The rotation took place about 10 days before the start of the Kursk operation. The Russians still believed that we were only defending ourselves,”
– recalls a soldier named Serhii.
The soldiers felt something serious was coming in early August when they received new equipment – helmets with built-in headphones and new assault rifles. They trained on models that later turned out to be copies of Russian villages. the 80th Brigade was preparing for the second wave of the attack.
The first phase of the operation had been carefully planned, but further developments became more spontaneous. Having lost the element of surprise, Ukrainian troops slowed their advance. President Zelenskyy pushed for maximum progress, but Syrskyy proceeded cautiously, focusing on expanding his flanks along the border to create more secure defensive positions.
More recently, Ukrainian forces, estimated at 10-20,000 troops, have focused on establishing control of the southern bank of the Sejm River northwest of Suji. on 16 August, Ukrainian missiles destroyed a bridge across the river at Glushkovo, and on 18 August a second bridge was reportedly destroyed.
This bold manoeuvre by Syrsky gave Ukrainians hope after a year of disappointing news. However, the long-term success of the operation will depend on Russia’s response. The Kremlin seems to have chosen a dual strategy: to strengthen its opposition to the invasion in the Kursk region while maintaining pressure on the front line in Donbas.
The Ukrainian military inside Russia is already reporting increased resistance. Russia has deployed better-trained units, including marines and special forces, to Kursk, forcing the withdrawal of some troops from Donbas, which has led to a decrease in military activity in the region since 16 August. However, the exception is Pokrovsk, where Russia is trying to maintain strong pressure on Ukrainian positions.
Kursk offensive
The Russian Armed Forces’ offensive in the Kursk region began on 6 August. Since then, there has been constant fighting there, and Russia has introduced a counter-terrorism operation in three regions bordering Ukraine.
According to unconfirmed reports, the Ukrainian Armed Forces have advanced up to 30 km in some areas. Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrsky reported to Supreme Commander-in-Chief Volodymyr Zelenskyy that 74 settlements were under the control of the Armed Forces. Later, there was information about the control of 100 settlements and more than 1,000 square kilometres of territory.
on 16-18 August, the Ukrainian Armed Forces destroyed two bridges over the Seim River near Glushkovo, giving them a good prospect of controlling another 1,000 square kilometres of territory.
Ukrainian soldiers break records for capturing Russians: 102 Russian soldiers were captured the day before yesterday.
