Euronews takes a closer look into what we know so far about the ongoing cross-border Ukrainian assault in Russia’s Kursk region that began on Tuesday.
In the past, Ukrainian forces have launched a few incursions into Russian territory, with the most recent being in March this year, when three anti-Kremlin armed units crossed into Belgorod and Kursk regions from Ukraine, allegedly resulting in clashes with Russian forces in several settlements.
All of those incursions were almost immediately followed by relentless attacks on the regional capital of Sumy and the region.
But what started on Tuesday morning at the quiet part of the border rather quickly developed into a different type of raid.
No information, no warning
All the information and details about the current fighting in the Kursk region, specifically around the town of Sudzha, have been coming almost entirely from Russian official sources and Russian military bloggers.
There were no warnings, videos, photos, or statements from Ukraine in the run-up to and early hours of the operation, which must have taken a long time in preparation.
The only time Ukrainian officials commented on what was happening in the Kursk region of Russia was when Ukrainian National Security and Defence Council official Andrii Kovalenko said Russia was not in control of its border.
Russian defence ministry reported at first that some 300 Ukrainian soldiers conducted an incursion across the border into Russia, engaging in combat inside, supported by tanks and armoured fighting vehicles, as well as drones and missile strikes.
Moscow initially said the attacks were repelled. The acting regional governor, Alexei Smirnov, said he had briefed Russian President Vladimir Putin about the situation, which he said was under control.
But Russian military bloggers kept reporting about Ukrainian forces capturing several settlements and moving deeper into Russian territory.
Several more fresh Ukrainian brigades have been introduced to the Kursk assaults and armoured formations are already being seen near the frontlines, according to the latest information.
What forces are involved?
Responsibility for previous raids and incursions into Russian territory has been claimed mostly by the Russian Volunteer Corps, the Freedom of Russia Legion, and the Sibir Battalion, which consists of volunteers from Russia fighting on the side of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
But this time, Moscow’s statement claimed the Ukrainian forces belonged to the army’s 22nd Mechanised Brigade — meaning, not volunteers, but the seasoned and experienced soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, hardened by some of the heaviest fighting, including in the Bakhmut area.
The brigade declined to comment, as did the Freedom of Russia Legion, the Ukrainian General Staff, and the defence ministry.
From the Russian side, this part of the border in the Kursk region was controlled by the border control forces, with not enough soldiers present in service.
They were then reinforced by conscripts. These are young Russian soldiers, starting at 18-19 years old, with little experience in this kind of attack.
On the second day of the incursion, Ukrainian media reports showed dozens of Russian soldiers surrendered to Ukraine in Kursk Oblast, Russia.
Drone warfare crucial
Ukraine’s operation across the border is massively supported by drones and, specifically, by first-person-view drones.
Ukraine’s deployment of FPV drones has provided notable tactical and strategic advantages against Russia.
According to Russian reports, on Tuesday, a Ukrainian FPV drone hit a Russian Mi-28 Havoc attack helicopter over the Kursk region. The Mi-28 is an attack helicopter designed to seek out and destroy enemy armoured vehicles, air targets and manpower.
The video was later posted of the alleged hit demonstrates Ukraine’s broader strategy to employ various types of drones to disrupt Russian military operations on the ground, at sea, and in the air.
What is the endgame?
Questions remain over the benefits of similar actions, aside from shock value and forcing parts of Russian troops to bolster their defences by moving troops from elsewhere.
Here are some of the important factors regarding the axis of the attack. The Sudzha axis sits on one of the primary train lines — the Lgov-Belgorod railway, which goes to Belgorod, the main logistics depot for Russian Task Group North in Kharkiv.
The area is also of high economic and energy importance. The Sudzha gas transfer and measuring stations are the only entry point for Russian natural gas into the Ukrainian gas transmission system for onward transport to Europe.
Currently, about 42 million cubic metres of gas pass through Sudzha every day, according to data by Reuters. The total annual transit volume is about 14 billion cubic metres.
Two Russian military blogs said, without providing evidence, that Ukrainian forces had captured a gas measuring facility. These claims could not be independently verified.
