Russia transfers over 5,000 soldiers from Ukrainian fronts to Kursk region – ISW

Due to Ukraine's armed forces operation in the Kursk region, the Russian command relocated over 5,000 soldiers from the fronts in Ukraine to this area. The Institute for the Study of War also monitored the progress of the Ukrainian military movement in the Kursk region on August 17 and 18.

The American Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reports this.

In their report, the analysts mention information from The Wall Street Journal. According to a source familiar with the Ukrainian operation in the Kursk region, the Russians moved multiple brigades with 5,000 personnel from other parts of Ukraine to the Kursk region during the week of August 6 to 13.

According to the WSJ source, Russian troops have moved a partially staffed brigade from the Donetsk region. The ISW believes this brigade could be the "Pyatnashka" brigade of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic. The institute noticed it arriving around August 8 along with other smaller Russian unconventional units from the same region.

As of August 15, the 200th Motorized Rifle Brigade units also arrived in the Kursk region. ISW observed that units of this brigade have been fighting in the Chasiv Yar of Donetsk region in recent months.

In addition, the WSJ's report of 5,000 troops is partially consistent with the report that Russian forces have deployed up to 11 battalions to the front line in the Kursk region.

Analysts noted that on August 17, the Russian 155th Marine Battalion "Tiger" announced that its units were being transferred to the Kursk region. Earlier, on July 31, ISW observed how units of this battalion operated near Vovchansk, Kharkiv region.

In summary, the experts noted that the Russians have moved additional forces into the Kursk region since the first week of the operation and probably moved more than 5,000 people in total.

In addition, the Institute for the Study of War continued to record Ukraine's armed forces' advance in the Kursk region on August 17 and 18.

In particular, geolocation footage from August 17 shows that Russian troops are attacking Ukrainian armored vehicles in northern Martinovka (northeast of Sudzha). This indicates that the Ukrainian military has recently advanced to this settlement.

One Russian military commander said on August 18 that Ukrainian forces had captured Troitskoye (south of Korenevo and about two kilometers from the international border) and had advanced to Semyonovka (north of Sudzha and about 24 km from the international border).

The Russian Ministry of Defense and the Russian military said that Ukraine's armed forces carried out the attacks:

• on the outskirts of Korenevo;
• to the southwest of Korenevo near Komarovka;
• to the east of Korenevo near Olgovka;
• northeast of Korenevo near Alekseevsky, Safonovka, Kromskiiye Byki, Kauchuk, and Sheptukhovka;
• north of Sudzha near Cherkasskoye Porechnoye and Russkoye Porechnoye;
• and southeast of Sudzha near Ozerka, Giri, and Borki.

In addition, according to geolocation footage from July 17 and 18, the Armed Forces continue to operate along the entire maximum declared border of the Ukrainian offensive in the Kursk region.

ISW key findings as of August 18:

• Ukrainian forces continued assaults throughout their salient in the Kursk region on August 18 and marginally advanced southeast of Sudzha.
• The Ukrainian incursion into the Kursk region continues to force Russia to redeploy forces from elsewhere in the theater. The subsequent phases of fighting within Russia will likely require more Russian human resources and materiel commitments to the area.
• Ukrainian forces struck a Russian oil depot in the Rostov region that supplies oil to the Russian military on the night of August 17 to 18.
• Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) Spokesperson Maria Zakharova denied that Russia planned to engage in reported negotiations with Ukraine and Qatar on a moratorium on strikes against energy infrastructure.
• Russian forces recently advanced near Kreminna and Donetsk City. Ukrainian forces regained previously lost positions near Siversk.

It is worth mentioning that Christopher Cavoli, the commander of NATO forces in Europe, has stated that Russia was facing difficulties in coming up with an effective response to Ukraine's actions in the Kursk region. However, their reaction has been slow and uncoordinated thus far.