Russia deploys thousands of troops from occupied Ukraine to counter Ukrainian offensive in Kursk region – CNN

The Russian Federation intensified its efforts in the Kursk region, moving several thousand military personnel from the occupied territories of Ukraine for counterattacks against the successful Ukrainian offensive.

CNN reports this, citing two high-ranking US military officials.

Sources report that the hostile nation has deployed multiple brigades, each consisting of at least 1,000 troops, to the Kursk region.

US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby confirmed the information about the transfer of Russian resources, noting that Putin and the Russian military seek to counter the Ukrainian offensive.

However, according to Kirby, this move does not mean Russia has abandoned military operations in other regions, such as the northeastern part of Ukraine or the south, particularly Zaporizhzhia. Active hostilities continue on these fronts as well.

Sources familiar with Western intelligence say that Russia has not yet transferred its more trained units from Ukraine to the Kursk region.

Instead, Kursk's defense is bolstered mostly by inexperienced conscripts who have relocated from other parts of Russia. This begs the question of whether this marks the start of a widespread relocation or simply reflects a shortage of resources to make significant troop movements.

In addition to troops transferred from Ukraine, Russia also sent personnel from the Leningrad Military District and Kaliningrad. This reinforces information about Russia's active efforts in the Kursk region.

Concern is also caused by the fact that Ukraine has sent some of its most experienced forces to the Kursk region, which may create weak points on other fronts. This raises the possibility that Russia may try to take advantage of these weak points to expand its territories inside Ukraine.

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The Wall Street Journal previously reported on deploying part of the Russian forces to the Kursk region. According to Reuters, the US sees Ukraine's incursion into the Kursk region as a defensive move that allows Kyiv to use American equipment. Still, there are concerns about possible complications as Ukrainian troops push deeper into Russian territory.

Previously, Christopher Cavoli, the commander of NATO forces in Europe, stated that Russia is still preparing a response to the invasion of Ukraine.

According to Cavoli's analysis, several factors influence the delay in the Russian response.

• Firstly, there is confusion about who should be accountable for hostilities within Russia. While the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation is responsible for actions in Ukraine, they are not held accountable for events occurring within Russian borders. Instead, the Ministry of Internal Affairs should handle these matters.
• Secondly, the NATO joint forces commander notes that Russia does not have free forces that could be transferred to oppose the Ukrainian operation. The level of Russian ground forces' involvement in Ukraine is very significant, which limits the possibilities for rapid mobilization of reserves.

On August 16, the Airborne Assault Forces of Ukraine published unique footage showing the first hours of the defense forces' offensive operation in the Kursk region of the Russian Federation, which began on August 6, 2024.

Also, the 80th Separate Airborne Assault Brigade of Ukraine's armed forces shared unique footage from the first hours of the offensive operation in the Kursk region of the aggressor country, which began on August 6, 2024.