（Dmytro Burtsev, postdoctoral research fellow at College of International Affairs, National Chengchi University ;junior research fellow at A.Yu. Krymskyi Institute of Oriental Studies, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine）
Ukrainian operation in the Kursk oblast of the Russian Federation, which started on August 6, 2024, showed Russian unpreparedness for conducting military actions on its own territory. The operation itself was a surprise not only for the Russian or Ukrainian societies but, in fact, even for the Russian military, including intelligence services. Before the Ukrainian attack, Russian military-related observers and bloggers reported about the massing and maneuvers of the Ukrainian army along the borders of the Sumy region. They speculated that such maneuvers could result in provocations along the borders as it was in 2023 and 2024 during the limited raids of the Russian Volunteer Corps and Freedom of Russia Legion to Belgorod and Kursk Oblasts. These raids were comparatively short-term, were conducted by units that mainly consisted of Russian citizens, were limited in scope, and, as it was claimed, were conducted independently of Ukrainian general staff. As mentioned, incursions were limited in time and space and did not cause a lot of concerns. Still, according to Russian information, settlements all along the Russian-Ukrainian border in the Kursk and Briansk regions were continuously suffering from artillery and drone attacks. This resulted in serious security concerns for the local population because of the destruction of the energy infrastructure and other facilities.
According to information from Ukrainian media, the preparations for the Ukrainian operation that was launched on August 6, 2024, were shrouded in complete secrecy, even from Ukraine's Western allies. This level of secrecy was maintained to prevent any questioning of the efficiency of the Ukrainian military operation by Western allies, as well as to avoid any potential escalation of the conflict and the unpredictable reaction of the Russian Federation, which has always been a primary concern for Western countries. The strategic secrecy was also a measure to prevent any leaks of the operation's details. As a result, the commanders of the lowest ranks were informed about the operation less than 24 hours before the offense was launched.
The operation started with the remote destruction of engineer obstacles and minefields and offensive actions of highly mobile units, which were followed by armored support and reinforcements, the same as it was during the Ukrainian counteroffensive in 2022 in Kharkiv oblast. After the surprising breaking through of the first line of defense, Ukrainian troops moved ahead using the roads while mobile groups attacked the lines of supplies and communication of the Russian forces and meanwhile flanking and trying to encircle them.
During the first days, several Russian media and officials claimed that the Ukrainian operation was successfully stopped and Ukrainian forces were defeated. Another less official source directly claimed that the Ukrainian side was conducting a full-scale major operation that included mobile anti-aircraft defense systems and electronic warfare tools. Thus, it did not allow the Russian side to use military aviation to counter Ukrainian ground attacks.
On August 11th, Ukrainian and Russian troops started building the fortifications, stabilizing the frontline. On the same day, the Ukrainian president, for the first time, commented and claimed about the Ukrainian operation on the Russian territory. On the other hand, Russian politics and military classified the Ukrainian offensive operation as a “terrorist attack.”
According to the information from the Ukrainian military, on August 27, Ukraine controlled 100 settlements of different sizes and around 1200 square kilometers of territory in the Kursk region, a significant achievement that underscored the success and momentum of the Ukrainian forces.
Aims and targets can be divided into several groups:1.Military and security: the creation of a buffer zone in the north of Ukraine that can prevent further shelling of Ukrainian cities, making Russian military command to move troops from the East of Ukraine to the zone of Ukrainian incursion to reduce pressure over Ukrainian troops in the above-mentioned direction. It is vital to notice that, nevertheless, 30 thousand Russian soldiers were moved to the Kursk oblast; according to the claims of the Ukrainian military, Russian troops still have significant advancement on the eastern front. From the words of the military, who stays at the east front, resources that are being used now in the Kursk can be used for reinforcement of the defensive lines in the East. Therefore, the attitude toward the incursion is controversial, the same as the current output of the operation in general.
2.Political: possibly using controlled territories as a bargaining chip in negotiations with the Russian Federation, creating political instability in the Russian Federation by incursion on the Russian territories, and demonstrating the weakness of the Russian “red lines” for the Russian population and the international community.
In general, the Ukrainian political leadership tries multiple approaches, including incursions into the Kursk region, to achieve “fair peace.” On the contrary, the Russian Federation claimed that Ukrainian actions [incursion] closed the way for all possible negotiations.
