Kyiv's secret strike: How Kursk offensive blindsided everyone

The newspaper "The New York Times" reports that the attack plan in the Kursk region was kept strictly confidential by Kyiv until the very end. "Some units were informed of their mission only at the last moment," reads the article.

"The New York Times" states that only "a limited number of people" knew about the strike plans. The troops that were directed towards the Kursk region were concentrated near the border under the pretext of exercises and equipment deliveries.

"Even within the army, many people were kept in the dark. Tykhyy - which means silent in Ukrainian - said that some units were informed of their mission only at the last moment," reports the American newspaper.

Some senior officers learned of the strike plans on 3 August. The newspaper, citing sources in the Ukrainian army, reports that one of the colonels called his subordinates that day to announce the mission objectives. "Distracting Russian soldiers to help those fighting in the eastern region of Donbas. Pushing Russian artillery out of range of Sumy. Demoralising the Russians by demonstrating their intelligence and planning errors," were the objectives they were said to have heard.

"The New York Times" also reports that Kyiv did not share operational plans with Washington. The decision not to inform allies was partly due to "Ukraine's obsessive concern about leaks."

An important factor preventing Kyiv from sharing its counteroffensive plan was also the fear of the US reaction. The Ukrainians assumed that the White House would try to dissuade them from their attack plans, according to American officials interviewed by the newspaper.