Ukraine likely hoped its Kursk incursion would force Russia to thin its frontlines, but they're just a small part of the forces being sent so far.
  • Russia looks to have moved thousands of troops from the front lines in Ukraine to defend Kursk.
  • One of Ukraine’s likely goals with the Kursk incursion was to force Russia to thin out its troops.
  • But these represent only a small proportion of the forces Russia is deploying to defend the area.
  • @Barbarian@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
    21•9 months ago

    I’m no military guy, but as far as I understand it using troops trained in combined arms maneuver warfare to hold a trench line is a bit of a misuse of their skillset. Kinda like using an entire delivery van to transport your weekly shopping.

    Why not use the troops in an environment they can truly excel and force a disproportionate response?

    Also, it isn’t exactly true that these troops were pulled off the eastern front. More accurate to say they weren’t deployed there, so there’s an opportunity cost.

    • @originalfrozenbanana@lemm.eeEnglish
      1•9 months ago

      But the article says they thinned out the front line for this operation, whatever that means.

      Ukraine also had to thin out its own frontline troops to launch the operation in Kursk. Even before the incursion, those troops were vastly outnumbered.

      I feel like there is a well-earned reaction to the lemmygrad and hexbear folks that makes any opinion questioning Ukraine get obliterated, and on balance that’s probably fine, but I want Ukraine to win. I am just a little confused about why they did this. Russia has hundreds of thousands of troops in Ukraine. Sending a couple thousand Ukrainian troops into Russia feels like desperation, not strategy

      • @Barbarian@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
        4•9 months ago

        I would think that Ukrainian military senior staff know a bit more of what they’re doing than us armchair generals. In terms of the full explanation, I’m sure we’ll get that much later down the line (likely after the war). In terms of the desperation, I guess a bit of that has to be involved. They wouldn’t need to do this if they were winning easily in the east, but that’s where basically all the Russian military is alongside extensive fortifications, minefields, pre-sited artillery, etc.

        It’s likely also got a political angle to it too. Undermining the myth of the strong Czar protecting his people, and forcing tough decisions about how to use conscripts, some of which are from wealthy and influential cities (unlike the contract soldiers).