Russia launched a counterattack: “One of the hardest battles in the war”

With a force of about 50,000 soldiers, the Russian army has in recent days begun a broad counter-offensive to regain control of the Kursk region, which was partially occupied by the Ukrainian army. Ukrainian fighters tell the Wall Street Journal that over the past few weeks, the fighting in the region has become one of the most difficult and intense since the beginning of the war, which will soon complete a grim three-year milestone.The Ukrainian army unexpectedly invaded the Kursk region in Russia, near the border between the countries, at the beginning of August. During the first weeks, the Ukrainians occupied an area of ​​more than 1,500 square kilometers, and now they hold an area of ​​about 600-800 square kilometers. The Russian army, with the help of the North Korean army, has mobilized powerful forces in an attempt to liberate the occupied territory as soon as possible.

Ukrainian fighters said that the fighting in the area in recent weeks has become so difficult and intense – that the Russians are forced to step on piles of the corpses of their comrades in arms in order to advance. After a series of severe defeats and the destruction of armored vehicle convoys – the Russian army moved to focus on its “preferred” method of warfare, relying on human cannon fodder.

Also in this sector, as in other combat sectors in recent times, Russia’s main key to victory is the great priority in personnel and armaments. While Ukraine struggles to replenish its bleeding ranks and recruit new fighters, Russia’s military continues to recruit an average of 30,000 new soldiers every month, in a desperate attempt to avoid a widespread general conscription that would pose a major political challenge to President Putin.

As part of the effort to recruit new soldiers for the Russian army, North Korea has so far sent more than 11,000 fighters from its regular army, and many of them are already stationed in combat positions in the Kursk region of Russia. At the end of the week it was reported that a very senior general in the North Korean army was injured in the Ukrainian bombings of Russian control posts in the Kursk region. Yesterday it was reported in the Financial Times that the Russian army recruited hundreds of Yemeni fighters in various ways based on Moscow’s relationship with the Houthis.

“They attack us all the time – morning, day and night,” said Gini, a battalion commander in the Ukrainian army fighting in Kursk Oblast. As part of the counterattack and the large concentration of Russian forces in Kursk, some of the elite forces of the Russian army were also sent to the sector. On the other hand, Ukraine also places some of its best and most talented units in the region.

The extent of Ukraine’s investment in fighting in the Kursk region, which is not of such great strategic importance at this stage of the war, raises quite a few questions. In the last week, the Ukrainians in the region have been enjoying a real boost following the approval given by the US and the UK to operate their long-range missiles deep in Russian territory. In Russia, it was reported tonight that the Ukrainian army launched an extensive attack of western missiles in the Kursk region, and, among other things, hit a nearby air base, but it is doubtful whether they were in which planes could be hit.

Alongside the hard fighting in the Kursk region, which is only a secondary area in the Great War, the Russian army succeeds every day in recording more and more achievements and advancing further and conquering more settlements. According to all estimates, Russia is expected to keep under its control all the territories currently occupied by Ukraine.

It is evident that the recruitment crisis of the Ukrainian army has reached new and particularly difficult levels. Yesterday it was published in the “Economist” that Ukraine is having great difficulty meeting the recruitment goals it has set for itself, with barely two-thirds recruited – which creates a very great danger for the continuation. Among other things, it is written that even those who are recruited are often of a relatively old age for fighting, are not physically fit enough and lack motivation to fight.

Putin himself continues to do as much as he can to allow the continued quiet recruitment into his army, and yesterday he approved a law that makes it possible to write off debts for new army recruits. Russia’s need for a never-ending recruitment of soldiers comes after several months in which the Russian army loses more than a thousand soldiers (killed and wounded) on average per day. Rob Bauer, a senior member of NATO, said today that the Russian army is bigger than it was before the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, but the quality of its forces is lower compared to that time.

The fighting between Russia and Ukraine in the Kursk region largely expresses the preparation of both sides for Trump’s return to the White House and what appears to be the beginning of negotiations to end the war, following his many statements on the subject. Putin is reportedly determined to gain control of all of Kursk Oblast before any talks begin, and in Ukraine the region is recognized as an asset that could be used as leverage in negotiations. In Ukraine, they are getting some encouragement from the words yesterday of Congressman Mike Waltz, Trump’s national security adviser, who said that in a working meeting with current adviser Jake Sullivan, he expressed support for the decision to authorize Ukraine to attack deep into Russian territory with American missiles and the decision to supply it with anti-personnel mines.