Ukrainian forces neutralize Russia's most combat-ready units in Kursk operation – military expert

He shared the information on Espreso TV. 

"Notice that Putin arrived (on a visit to the Kursk region - ed.) just before the negotiations on resolving the war in Ukraine intensified. This is about raising the stakes. The Russian offensive in the Kursk region and its escalation coincided with international developments, specifically the meeting between U.S. and Ukrainian representatives. Russia urgently needed to weaken or completely eliminate Ukraine's defensive presence in the Kursk region to deprive Ukraine of bargaining chips in future negotiations.  

That is, the ability to trade Ukrainian-controlled areas in the Kursk region for occupied Ukrainian territories. By the way, I do not rule out that the situation in the Kursk region itself could have been the subject of a political agreement, as the rapid Russian advance there raises many questions. Especially considering the so-called 'Truba' operation, which essentially mirrors the events in Avdiivka, where the occupiers used underground communications to break into the Ukrainian Defense Forces’ operational rear, leading to further negative consequences," he explained.

Dmytro Sniehyriov pointed out that a similar situation is currently unfolding in the Kursk region. In his view, the key question for military counterintelligence is why this occurred: “How can you not realize that there are underground communications that can be used after seven months of being there? For me, this is not quite clear.”

In addition, there has been a sharp intensification of hostilities directly on the front line in Ukraine. More than 250 military clashes have been recorded recently. Russian forces are trying to improve their tactical position in key areas and do not abandon the goal of trying to reach the administrative borders of Donetsk region. 

At the same time, the military expert emphasized that the operation of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Kursk region was of great importance and successful.

"Despite all the criticism, let's assess the situation objectively. After Ukraine's counteroffensive in the Kursk region, Russia redeployed its most combat-ready units there from the front line: marine brigades, airborne divisions, GRU special forces divisions, the General Staff's special forces division, and a Rosgvardiya special forces division. The total Russian troop presence reached up to 65,000.  

Now, pay attention: according to Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence Directorate, Russian losses in the Kursk region amount to approximately 48,000. This means we have neutralized and eliminated Russia's most capable military units in Kursk. Training special forces operatives, marines, and mid-to-high-level airborne commanders takes years. Russia has plenty of cannon fodder but few specialists. This is the first and most important military aspect," he explained.

Secondly, in addition to the loss of 48,000 Russian troops, the Russian military command was forced to take extraordinary measures, including the formation of two operational and tactical groups: Belgorod and Bryansk, to secure the state border. According to the expert, the total number of troops in these groups reached up to 90,000, effectively blocking operational reserves within Russian territory. As a result, these forces did not engage in combat on Ukrainian soil.

"Third, the economic impact. The construction of so-called line of defense lines in the Bryansk and Belgorod regions cost the Russian budget up to 400 million dollars. This is a significant amount even for Russia. Additionally, 120,000 displaced people, which results in costs for Russia’s budget of up to five billion rubles.  

The main issue, however, is that it exposed the inability of central and local authorities to adequately respond to external challenges. This represents an informational, political, and ideological defeat for Russia. We changed the very paradigm of the so-called 'special military operation' by moving the war directly onto the occupying country's territory. This was a serious challenge for Putin and Russia. The total area of territory controlled by the Ukrainian Defense Forces in the Kursk region is estimated at up to 250 square kilometers."

• In the Kursk region, Russian troops attempted to infiltrate Ukrainian-controlled territory using underground passages. However, Ukrainian paratroopers set up an ambush and eliminated the Russian group.

Frontline situation in Kursk region

The OSINT project DeepState reported that the Russian army made slight advances on the Kursk front, particularly near Mirny and Zozulevka. Additionally, Russian forces are reinforcing positions in the eastern part of Sudzha.

On March 12, Forbes reported that Ukrainian troops were likely to leave the Kursk region amid the Russian offensive. In particular, this concerns the most combat-ready part of the brigades.

At the same time, Ukrainian MP Kostenko denied the information about the withdrawal of the Ukrainian Defense Forces from Sudzha. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also assured that the Ukrainian Armed Forces continue to carry out their mission in Kursk.

Ukrainian Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said that active hostilities continue in the Kursk operational zone, in the suburbs of Sudzha and the areas around it. 

On March 12, Russian leader Vladimir Putin allegedly visited the Kursk region.