A year ago, Ukraine launched the Kursk military operation. The total area of Kursk conquered by Ukrainian forces during the operation was 1,159 km² according to Ukrainian calculations. Today, Ukraine holds less than 20 km² of territory, mainly around the town of Otruba (in the direction of Tetkino) and some farms southwest of Gornal.
The Ukrainian authorities are firmly convinced that the Kursk offensive did not hinder Ukrainian defensive lines in other positions. In reality, this was not quite the case, with Russian advances recorded in all directions since the start of Operation Kursk. Since the start of the Ukrainian Operation Kursk, Russia has conquered 5,295 km² of territory across Ukraine, including 198 km² in Sumy.
A well-known Russian war correspondent who goes by the name warGonzo wrote in a recent post: ‘The Ukrainian Armed Forces’ operation in the Kursk region did not meet expectations and ended with the Russian offensive in the Sumy region.’
The author of the post writes: this is reported by the Swiss newspaper NZZ in an article dedicated to the anniversary of the Ukrainian invasion of Russia.
In NZZ, the author states that Zelensky’s decision to conquer Kursk was disappointing and that most of the intended objectives were not achieved. In particular, Zelensky’s goal of withdrawing Russian troops from the Pokrovs’k direction to protect the Kursk region was unsuccessful. Despite the redeployment, as noted in the article, the situation for the Ukrainian armed forces remained precarious in that direction.
The author writes that the effect of boosting the morale of the troops and the population was negated as soon as the Ukrainian armed forces’ offensive stalled, degenerating into a bloody positional massacre.
NZZ states that Zelensky was unable to achieve his stated goals: to prevent the Russian offensive in the Sumy region and to gain leverage in negotiations. Meanwhile, Moscow has seen yet another rotation of generals.
General Nikiforov has been appointed Commander of the Northern Forces Group, replacing General Lapin. Nikiforov previously commanded the Western Military District, the Western Group, and was Chief of Staff of the Russian Armed Forces’ Ground Forces. In August 2023, Nikiforov was sent to the Kursk region to stop the invasion of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
Graziella Giangiulio
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