Russia continues to move troops from Ukraine to Kursk region

The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reports on August 25.

According to the ISW, units of the 810th Naval Infantry Brigade, 155th Naval Infantry Brigade, and 11th Airborne Brigade are fighting in the Kursk region, and there is evidence that the Russian military command recently redeployed units of the 56th Airborne Regiment from the Robotyne area in western Zaporizhzhia region to the Kursk region. 

On August 24, the commanders of these brigades, as well as the commander of the 51st Airborne Regiment, reported to Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin on combat missions in the Russian territories bordering Ukraine, probably referring to the Kursk region.

Although the ISW has not yet seen reports that units of the 51st Airborne Regiment are fighting in the Kursk region, the fact that the commander of the 51st Airborne Regiment briefed Putin along with the commanders of other units that have recently redeployed their units to the Kursk region suggests that units of the 51st Airborne Regiment may have also moved to the area.

According to the ISW, Russia has redeployed units of the 810th and 155th Naval Infantry Brigades from the front line in the northern Kharkiv region and may have redeployed units of the 11th Airborne Brigade from the Chasiv Yar area.

The analysts concluded that the Russian military command is currently refusing to redeploy forces from the priority offensive operation to capture Pokrovsk in the Donetsk region and is likely to continue to redeploy forces from lower-priority offensive operations in other areas of the front to defend the Kursk region.

• Valerii Riabykh, a military expert and development director of the information and consulting company Defense Express, noted that the operation in Kursk region changed the strategic initiative in favour of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.