The invasion of Kursk by Ukrainian forces is putting pressure on the entire front of Russian forces, according to a US think tank. Specifically, in an analysis, the American think tank "Institute for the Study of War" highlights the difficulties faced by Russians after the Ukrainian attack, while it estimates that Vladimir Putin will almost certainly attempt to retake this Russian region, while concerns are caused by the move of the Belarusian president and friend of Putin to send 1/3 of his army to the border with Ukraine.
HDN Newsroom
Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko, a staunch ally of Vladimir Putin, said on Monday that Ukraine had stationed more than 120,000 troops on its border with Belarus and that Minsk had deployed nearly a third of its armed forces across the border
According to the Institute for the Study of War, a US think tank, Vladimir Putin will almost certainly attempt to retake Russia's periphery, which will require more forces and equipment from elsewhere in the theatre of war. In the long run, the Russian president will be forced to make a decision to deploy more resources along the border with Ukraine that would impose restrictions on his plans for the entire front, "not previously faced by Russia."
"The Ukrainian invasion of Kursk Oblast and Russia's increased priority of maintaining the pace of offensive operations in Donetsk Oblast will likely place a greater strain on Russia's remaining operational reserves and likely begin to affect Russia's ability to maintain consistent offensive operations throughout the theater," the ISW said. "Further Russian realignments in the Kursk region would further weaken Russia's ability to sustain offensive operations in northeastern and eastern Ukraine."
The Russian military has already redeployed 11 battalions from the Kursk region and four groups of Russian forces from elsewhere. This may contradict Putin's strategy of inflicting damage on Ukrainians and new territorial gains, but "continued Ukrainian occupation of Russian territory would be a strategic blow to Putin's decades-long effort to cement a legacy of stability, security, and geopolitical revival of Russia."
At the same time, the Ukrainian Air Force announced that it also hit a second bridge in Russia's Kursk region.
"Another bridge less. The Air Force continues to hit the enemy's logistical capabilities with precision air strikes," Air Force Chief of Staff Mykola Oleshchuk said on Telegram, posting video footage of the attack on the Seim River, the same one where Ukrainians destroyed another bridge a few days ago.
The destruction of infrastructure by Ukrainian forces in this region is believed to be aimed at cutting off Russian supply lines and preventing them from sending reinforcements to defend their region.
Belarusian President President Alexander Lukashenko said on Monday that Ukraine had stationed more than 120,000 troops on its border with Belarus and that Minsk had deployed nearly a third of its armed forces across the border, state news agency Belta reported.
He did not say exactly how many troops have been deployed. Belarus' professional army numbers about 48,000 soldiers and about 12,000 soldiers on the state border, according to the International Institute for Strategic Studies' 2022 Military Balance Report (IISS).
"Seeing their aggressive policy, we have presented there and placed in some places - in case of war, it will be defense - our army all over the border," Belta quoted Lukashenko as saying in an interview on Russian state television.
The Belarusian leader, a staunch ally of Vladimir Putin, was speaking against the backdrop of the invasion of Russia by Ukrainian troops that began on August 6, when thousands of Kiev troops crossed Russia's western border, dealing a severe blow to the leadership of Putin's army.
Belarusian Defense Minister Viktor Hrenin said on Friday that there was a high probability of armed provocation from neighboring Ukraine and that the situation on the border between the two countries "remains tense."
Lukashenko said the Belarus-Ukraine border was mined "like never before" and that Ukrainian troops would suffer huge losses if they attempted to cross it.
Earlier today, Russia launched a ballistic missile attack on Kyiv for the third time this month and, according to preliminary data, all missiles were destroyed as they approached the city, the Ukrainian capital's military administration said.
"This is already the third ballistic missile strike against the capital in August, with breaks of exactly six days between each attack," Serhiy Popko, the head of Kiev's military administration, wrote on Telegram.
"According to preliminary information, the Russians probably used North Korean ballistic missiles again, for the third time."
Reuters could not independently confirm the type of missiles fired.
Ukrainian Air Force Chief Mykola Oleshchuk said Ukrainian forces had destroyed eight Russian attack drones and five of eight missiles fired overnight over the Kyiv, Sumy and Poltava regions, adding that none of the weapons had hit their target and no casualties or damage had been reported.
Kyiv officials also said there were no casualties or damage in the capital.
However, Kyiv regional governor Ruslam Kravchenko said two private houses were destroyed and another 16 damaged by debris that fell after missiles and drones intercepted.
North Korea condemned Ukraine's raid on Russia's Kursk region, calling it an "unforgivable act of terrorism" backed by Washington and the West, adding that it would always side with Russia, which seeks to protect its sovereignty, North Korean media reported on Monday.
Ukraine's incursion inside Russia is a product of the United States' anti-Russian confrontational policy, which is pushing the situation to the brink of World War III, KCNA news agency reported.
The US has delivered "astronomical" quantities of lethal weapons to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, the cable said.
"We categorically condemn the armed aggression against Russian territory by Zelensky's puppet regime, controlled and supported by the United States and the West, as an unforgivable act of aggression and terrorism," KCNA quoted the North Korean Foreign Ministry as saying in a statement.
Liza Alert, a nationwide missing persons charity, said Friday it has missing persons reported missing for nearly 1,000 people in the area.
The Kremlin has allocated EUR 3 billion to the European Union. rubles for a fortification line in the Kursk region, while a new land defense force was supposed to prevent the invasion.
