Ukrainian defence against Kursk offensive halts Russian advance
The advisor to the head of the Ministry of National Defence, Gen. Mieczysław Bieniek, believes that the Russian counter-offensive in the Kursk region will result in significant losses for the Russians. He emphasises that the Ukrainians have effectively prepared for defence, including heavily mining the roads.
In an interview with the Polish Press Agency, Gen. Mieczysław Bieniek, the former NATO strategic deputy commander for transformation, assessed that the planned Russian counter-offensive in the Kursk region "will, as usual, end in a bloody massacre."
I do not know to what extent the Ukrainians managed to prepare the facilities for defence, how heavily they mined the approaches and roads, set up ambushes and traps, but they certainly didn't waste this time — the general said.
The British newspaper "The Telegraph" reports that Russian President Vladimir Putin aims for the Russian forces to reclaim the territories taken by Ukraine before Donald Trump is sworn in as the President of the USA. Earlier, "The New York Times" reported that Russia had gathered over 50,000 soldiers, including North Korean units, in the region for the planned counter-offensive.
Gen. Bieniek emphasised that North Korean army soldiers, currently being trained by the Russians in assault operations, artillery support, and infantry battalion actions, will also participate in the upcoming activities. He also recalled that the last Russian counter-offensive led to significant losses on the Russian side.
The war in Ukraine at a very difficult moment
According to the advisor to the head of the Ministry of National Defence, the war is at a very difficult moment both for Ukraine, which is suffering losses in Donbas and for Russia, which "must rely on allies" such as North Korean soldiers and Iranian equipment. He added that the activities taking place on the territory of the Russian Federation do not make it easier for the Ukrainian army to defend itself.
According to the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi, the Russians in the Kursk region lost over 20,000 soldiers and 1,101 units of weapons and military equipment. Thursday marks the 994th day of Russia's war against Ukraine.
The Ukrainians launched an offensive in the Russian Kursk region on 6 August 2024. The action of the Ukrainian soldiers was a surprise not only to the Russians themselves but also to Ukraine's foreign allies.
