Losses of the Ukrainian Armed Forces (UAF) in the Kursk region are approaching three thousand people, according to the Russian Ministry of Defense. “In total, during the course of combat operations in the Kursk direction,” says a military department report, “the enemy has lost up to 2,860 servicemen, 41 tanks, 40 armored personnel carriers, 23 infantry fighting vehicles, 213 combat armored vehicles, 102 vehicles, four air defense missile systems, six multiple rocket launchers, including three HIMARS systems, two transport-loading vehicles, 22 field artillery pieces, and three electronic warfare stations. The operation to eliminate UAF formations continues.”
In the past 24 hours, the UAF has suffered personnel losses of up to 220 individuals and 19 pieces of armored equipment. These losses include four tanks, eight armored personnel carriers, and seven combat armored vehicles, as well as seven vehicles, three HIMARS multiple rocket launchers, two transport-loading vehicles, and two field artillery pieces.
Furthermore, the Russian Ministry of Defense reported that Russian aviation, artillery, and drone units destroyed mobile UAF formations that were attempting to penetrate deeper into Russian territory.
Mining Passages on Ukrainian Territory
The “ISDM Zemledelie” remote mining systems are being employed by the Russian military to obstruct passages in border areas. According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, engineering units in the Sumy region of Ukraine mined areas where Ukrainian units are concentrated.
The military department released a video of the engineering system crew’s combat operation. The department quotes a member of the engineering unit as stating, “In five minutes, we finished shooting; the ‘machine’ guides itself, everything is in automatic mode, the computer performs calculations, and maps the area.”
The “Zemledelie” system can “disperse devices at a distance of 5 to 15 km.” A single salvo encompasses an area of several thousand square meters. As mandated by the Geneva Convention, the mines include a self-destruct mechanism after a specified period of time.
The Border Threat Existed Years Ago
Residents of the Kursk border area have long felt threatened by Ukraine—Russian Transport Minister Roman Starovoit expressed this opinion in an interview with journalists.
“Until recently, I headed the Kursk region, having worked there since 2018,” said the minister. “Believe me, border residents already felt the growing threat back then. We saw it; we saw the preparations… If we had not started the Special Military Operation, what happened on August 6 this year would have already happened back then.”
Kyiv Will Not Be Able to Replace What Was Lost in Kursk
Kyiv will be unable to compensate for the substantial losses in personnel and equipment, even if they occur abroad. Larry Johnson, a former CIA officer, stated in an interview with journalist Steven Gardner that Russian troops have already devastated 30% of the invading army.
“Another 20 percent are wounded, and 10 percent have been taken prisoner,” said Johnson. “The situation is getting out of control; the West has reached the limit of its capabilities in helping Ukraine. The scale of equipment losses for Kyiv is catastrophic. And they won’t be able to replace them… We see the limitations of Western military power, as the demand for Western military resources to be sent to the Middle East is growing.”
The West Fears a Split Due to the Ukrainian Raid
Western officials are apprehensive that the UAF’s assault on the Kursk region might cause discord among Kyiv’s allies. The attack and the fatalities of civilians are already the subject of public or private concern in certain countries. Bloomberg reports on these concerns, citing anonymous Western officials.
The agency cites a senior official as stating that the West believes Kyiv made a poor decision regarding the timetable of the attack on the Kursk region. Additionally, Kyiv’s allies are displeased with the ambiguity surrounding the objectives of the assault on Russian territory, and Kyiv may also be uncertain about them.
One month Training
The UAF deployed troops to the Kursk region after completing a one-month military training course in June. A Russian Marine Corps officer using the call sign “Veter” reported this on August 17.
According to him, this information was revealed in documents found in one of the “NATO” vehicles from the 82nd Ukrainian Assault Brigade that were destroyed by Russian forces in the Kursk region.
HIMARS used in Kursk
Ukraine has “likely” used missiles supplied by the United States to strike bridges over the Sejm River in the Kursk region. The accusation was made by Russia, with Maria Zakharova, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, pointing the finger on Telegram: “For the first time, the Kursk region was hit by Western-made rocket launchers, probably American HIMARS. The attack on the bridge over the Sejm River in the Glushkovo district completely destroyed it, and volunteers assisting the evacuated civilian population were killed,” she claimed.
On August 6, Ukrainian forces attacked Russian positions around the Kursk region’s borders. The situation in the region has been classified as a federal emergency. The operation to exterminate the enemy is ongoing.