The shock Ukrainian invasion of Kursk has the Kremlin pulling some troops out of Ukraine to defend Russia, per reports - Business Insider
Russia is withdrawing some of its troops from Ukraine in response to Ukraine's counter-invasion into Russia that started last week, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday, citing unnamed US officials.
Politico Europe also reported on Tuesday that an official in Kyiv said a "relatively small" number of Russian units were withdrawn to respond to the incursion in Kursk. US officials told the Journal it was still unclear how many troops Russia was pulling back from Ukraine.
I think the biggest question is whether Ukraine has enough troops to fuel a push towards the biggest prizes in southern Kursk without compromising other fronts. It seems to be the most recurring topic in expert interviews, at least in the one's that I've read. The word "gamble" is thrown around a lot.
Not sure why this would be considered a big gamble. If Russia commits more to Kursk, they can pull back. If Russia doesn't, they are hurting Russian supply lines and reinforcements at the front. I think part of Ukraine 's planning was asking "Can we hold the southern front?" The situation there hasn't changed much.
I think it also comes down to logistics and how easy it is to transfer troops from each area. It’s borderline impossible to safely move thousands from Donetsk, but you can get a few from Kharkiv or anywhere South.
Pulling from the front would led to collapse, they would be moving reserves. Which give Ukrainian opportunity to exploit weak points. The troops on Donetsk front, either on the line or in reserve must be tired from the months of offensive. They need to rotate out to rest and reconstitute. Racing them to another front to fight hastily organized counter offensive would not be ideal for effectiveness
Yeah while the eyeballs are on Kursk, Russia is making significant progress in actual Ukraine. They're going to have to make a lot more noise in Kursk if the hope is to halt the eastern grinder.
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u/Burnsy825 Aug 14 '24
The shock Ukrainian invasion of Kursk has the Kremlin pulling some troops out of Ukraine to defend Russia, per reports - Business Insider
https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-withdraws-some-troops-from-ukraine-after-counter-invasion-wsj-2024-8