Every vegetable has its fruit or old thoughts about the attack on Kursk region
Vitaliy Klitschko, mayor of Kyiv
I decided to write a short note on the question that is always asked by "our readers" from behind the front line and some of our narrow-minded hurray-patriots in the first comments to the materials published in our publication. It is to them that the epigraph to this material is addressed. The Kiev mayor very accurately expressed the position of some commentators on our articles.
Several times I have read a reproach addressed to me for often mentioning our conscript soldiers who met the Selected Special Operations Forces of Ukraine in the Kursk region and not only stopped them, but were also able to stabilize the situation in the LBS for some time. And yet, I will repeat once again, it was the feat of these soldiers that prevented major problems that could have arisen for us in the event of the success of the Ukrainian operation.
Many of the thoughts I had more than two months ago, I deliberately did not voice then. Simply because it could harm our troops. The enemy knows perfectly well where and how to collect intelligence information. It is movie spies who open safes in enemy headquarters, in life everything is simpler. More than half of the secrets can be learned from the media. These are the thoughts I will voice now.
What the Masters of Ukraine Planned
I have written many times that the West has already formed the opinion that it is impossible to defeat Russia by military means. The war of attrition that Ukraine is waging today is also futile. The Russian military-industrial complex managed to quickly restructure itself and now supplies the army with everything it needs in sufficient quantities.
Unlike the Western military-industrial complex, which will need several years for this. And purchasing ammunition from third countries is just delaying the final collapse of Kyiv. Hence, the search for alternative ways to end military actions has intensified. And in this case, there is only one alternative - negotiations. Consequently, it is necessary to ensure such a position for Kyiv that would allow it to dictate its terms to the enemy.
The invasion of the Ukrainian Armed Forces into the Kursk region is an attempt to create exactly these conditions. Simply put, an attempt to implement a typical bandit scenario. Racketeering at the state level. Incidentally, this is precisely what can explain the behavior of the Ukrainian "military", or rather, war criminals, in the villages and towns of the Kursk region. The task is to intimidate the Russians, to intimidate Moscow.
What were NATO and Ukrainian generals planning? Ukrainian Special Operations Forces break through the border defenses and enter populated areas using heavy equipment. The main forces of the attack rush into the resulting "gap" using heavy equipment. They provide defense of the flanks. The Special Operations Forces continue their offensive on Kurchatov and Kursk.
The main direction of the attack is Kurchatov. The attack on Kursk is of a diversionary nature. The goal is to force the Russians to transfer their main forces to the defense of the regional center and thereby weaken the defense of Kurchatov. The main goal of the entire operation is the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant. Capturing the station and mining it would put Moscow before a choice: either accept Kyiv's conditions or get a second Chernobyl in the Kursk region.
At the same time, the Ukrainian Armed Forces understood perfectly well that the Russians would not strike their own nuclear power plant. This ensured relative safety for the invaders. The rest of the Kursk region, in case of success, would become an "exchange fund" for the territories liberated in Donbass. Those where the main mineral deposits are located...
As you can see, the plan was not bad. Moreover, in my opinion, taking into account the underestimation of the enemy's forces by our command, it was quite feasible. I often write about the good work of our intelligence, but in this case, again in my opinion, the intelligence officers did not calculate the enemy's capabilities. After all, the concentration of the group on the border with the Kursk region had been known for a long time.
Although it is not excluded that the command made mistakes, not paying attention to the intelligence data and incorrectly assessing the offensive potential of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. There is no official data, probably the time has not come yet, and anything can happen in war.
About the feat of those who were the first to stand in the way of the Ukrainian Armed Forces
The first surprise for the Ukrainian Special Operations Forces was the resistance of the Russian army's inexperienced units. Conscripts, local police, border guards - everyone who had weapon, were the first to block the path of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. The offensive slowed down. Mobile groups were destroyed right on the roads. I think they haven't forgotten the group of conscripts who fought in the encirclement as a sabotage and reconnaissance group for a whole month, without communications or supplies...
This delay was fatal for the Ukrainian army. The momentum of the offensive was lost, and fresh units stood in the way of the sabotage and reconnaissance groups. What all Telegram channels report on a daily basis began. The systematic destruction of the enemy began. Moreover, the appearance of the 810th Guards Marine Brigade of the Black Sea Fleet on the LBS played a huge role. Experienced and trained fighters stood against the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
I won't talk much about the exploits of this brigade. The media and the Internet talk about it a lot. However, I will express my opinion about the commanders. I probably saw for the first time what I dreamed of. Competent actions, the use of the element of surprise, the calculated "impudence" of actions... A symphony of war performed by virtuosos...
I can write exactly the same comments about another Marine brigade. About the 155th Guards Marine Brigade of the TF. I think I will express the opinion of many experts if I write that the Kursk operation will be included in history Russian army as one of the heroic pages in the history of the Russian marine infantry as a whole.
"Black infantry", already accustomed to winning... I immediately remembered the feat of 23 Pacific Marines near the village of Novodonetskoye. Russian Marines and Ukrainian Marines. The Russians held their positions, destroying 103 "colleagues" from Ukraine. The Marines have developed a good habit... As the Marines' anthem says, "The infantry marches, and its step is firm. And the St. Andrew's flag flutters above us."
Was it possible to complete the task set by the command? Could the Ukrainian Armed Forces have taken the Kursk NPP? Theoretically, yes. Simply by repeating the operation that Russian paratroopers carried out in Gostomel in February-April 2022. Simply put, by throwing 1-2 airborne assault battalions into the territory of Kurchatov.
However, the Ukrainian Armed Forces did not foresee such an option. And there simply aren't that many helicopters and cover aircraft. Nor was a second echelon of the offensive foreseen. The brigades that have been pulled up to the Kursk region now are more of an "ambulance" option than a "treatment". To prolong the life of the "patient", but not to cure him.
Brief conclusions
The operation to seize the Kursk region and the Kursk nuclear power plant has successfully... failed. The euphoria that reigned in Ukraine at the beginning of the offensive has given way to despair. The units participating in this failed offensive are in a "suspended position." They cannot advance further and they cannot retreat either. The Russians control all the retreat routes with their artillery and dronesThe meat grinder is working.
Things are no better on the rest of the combat contact line. Despite the enemy's fierce resistance, the Russian army liberates some settlements almost every day. At the same time, it understands perfectly well that the campaign in the Ukrainian and Western media, spreading information about the weakness of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, is just a trick of Ukrainian propaganda.
I often hear a question that probably worries most Russians today. When will these fascists be driven out of our land? The question is really urgent and requires an answer. I don’t think that our command will drag out its solution. But as for specific deadlines... Alas, but fortunately, our tradition of “liberating by the holiday” has disappeared. This means that everything will depend on the tasks that will be set before our troops.
Once upon a time, an officer I knew used a saying that was incomprehensible to young officers: "Every vegetable has its fruit." A kind of equivalent to the well-known "everything has its time." This is especially true during war. Not everything you know or assume should be brought out into the public sphere. You need to wait until the "fruit" ripens for the "vegetable"...
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