Moscow is withdrawing at least some of its forces from Ukraine to counter an ongoing Ukrainian incursion in Russia's Kursk Oblast, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on Aug. 13, citing undisclosed U.S. officials.
Ukraine's unprecedented operation, ongoing since last week, seems to have taken Russia by surprise, as Kyiv says its forces seized control of 74 settlements and over 1,000 square kilometers of land after they broke through the weakly defended border.
Groups of Ukrainian soldiers have also reportedly entered neighboring Belgorod Oblast as Russian authorities scramble to evacuate its population and send in reinforcements.
According to the WSJ, U.S. officials are still uncertain about how many troops Russia is redirecting and how significant the step is. Nevertheless, this seems to indicate that at least one of the operation's stated goals is achieving some success.
Ukraine's Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Heorhii Tykhyi, said on Aug. 13 that the incursion aims to prevent Moscow from sending reinforcements to the front in Donetsk Oblast.
It is also designed to disrupt Russian logistics and halt cross-border attacks in lieu of Ukraine's long-range strikes with Western arms, which remain under unofficial restrictions from partners.
"Unlike Russia, Ukraine does not seek to seize territory. We want to protect the lives of our people," Tykhyi said.
Similar statements about Russia rerouting its troops have surfaced elsewhere. Lithuanian Defense Minister Laurynas Kasciunas said in a meeting with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky on Aug. 13 that Moscow is transferring some forces from its Kaliningrad enclave to Kursk Oblast.
Ukraine's military also reported that Russia began pulling some soldiers from southern Ukraine to counter the incursion.
The immediate effects are yet to be felt in some of the hottest sectors of the front in Donbas. A military spokesperson of a brigade deployed in Toretsk said that the Kursk incursion has not yet influenced hostilities in the area, with Russia only ramping up airstrikes.
The cross-border incursion came at a time when Ukraine was facing a difficult situation in the east. Russian forces have been pushing forward toward Pokrovsk, moving within roughly 15 kilometers of the key town, according to the DeepState monitoring site.
The Russian leadership sought to exert confidence regarding the situation in Kursk Oblast, claiming its forces were counterattacking and inflicting heavy losses on Ukrainian troops. In turn, Ukraine said it had captured a large number of Russian soldiers, publishing footage of captive Russian service members.
Many observers point out, however, that the first invasion of foreign armed forces into Russia since World War II puts Russian President Vladimir Putin in an embarrassing situation, with some rumors suggesting he might resort to a new wave of mobilization.
The Kyiv Independent news desk
(Updated: )
