Sun Sep 15 10:47:38 UTC 2024: ## Ukrainian Forces Make Gains in Russia’s Kursk Oblast, Forcing Moscow to Redeploy Troops

**KYIV, UKRAINE** – Ukrainian forces have made significant advances into Russia’s Kursk Oblast, capturing several villages and forcing Moscow to bolster its military presence in the region, according to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).

Ukrainian troops have pushed north from their initial incursion point, capturing villages like Veseloye and Cherkasskoye. The ISW’s updated map shows the Ukrainian advance extending further into Russian territory than previously reported.

The Ukrainian offensive has also led to a significant redeployment of Russian troops from the Ukrainian front line to Kursk Oblast. Russian military bloggers have reported that drone operators and electronic warfare specialists, punished by being reassigned to infantry units, have been killed in battle. The ISW suggests this move is degrading Russian forces by placing highly trained personnel in dangerous frontal assaults.

The incursion has also forced Moscow to increase its troop concentration in the region, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky estimating that Russia aims to deploy as many as 70,000 troops to Kursk.

While the Ukrainian offensive appears to have strategic aims beyond territorial gains, it has also led to a series of prisoner exchanges between the two countries. On September 14th, Ukraine and Russia conducted their third prisoner swap since the start of the Kursk campaign, exchanging 103 prisoners each. Ukrainian officials have suggested that the incursions have strengthened Kyiv’s negotiating position in securing the release of prisoners of war.

The Russian Foreign and Defense Ministries have yet to comment on the Ukrainian advances. However, the ISW’s report highlights the growing pressure on Moscow to respond to Kyiv’s successful offensive operations.

Read More