Ukrainian soldiers have three seconds to shoot down a Russian attack drone
CNN | Published December 4, 2024
The dawn assault inside Russia’s Kursk region never even got to a gunfight, yet betrayed the intensity of the battle in Kremlin territory. Five Russians edged forward in the grey Sunday dawn but, as thermal drone imagery shows, were killed or wounded by a drone as they tried to hide in the treeline.
“I have this impression that (the Russians) have unlimited people,” said Oleksandr, a unit commander with the 225th assault battalion, describing the clash from a cafe in the Ukrainian city of Sumy, 11 hours later.
“They send groups, and almost no one remains alive. And the next day, the groups go again. The next Russians, it seems, do not know what happened to the previous Russians. They go there, into the unknown. No one tells them anything about it, and no one comes back.”
Oleksandr and two colleagues with whom he is sitting are hard of hearing from the constant shelling. They provide a rare insight into the nearly four-month-long Ukrainian occupation of Kursk.
The August invasion marked a rare tactical success and strategic gain for Kyiv, although the use of significant manpower and armor in the assault has led to criticism that shortages created by the invasion contributed to Russia’s advance across the Donbas eastern front.
Advocates of the Kursk operation suggest it provided Kyiv with vital leverage for any future peace talks – perhaps initiated by US President-elect Donald Trump – which means Ukraine needs to retain a foothold in the area into spring at the least.
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SOURCE: www.cnn.com
RELATED: ‘Destroying us little by little:’ Ukrainian troops worried about fate of Kursk operation
Ukrainian soldiers spend their time underground until they receive orders in Sumy Oblast, a few kilometres from the Russian border on Sept. 30, 2024. (Fermin Torrano/Anadolu via Getty Images)
KYIV INDEPENDENT| Published December 4, 2024
Ukraine clings onto its captured territories in Russia’s Kursk Oblast at all costs for leverage in possible peace talks.
Nearly four months after Kyiv launched a surprise cross-border incursion into Russia’s Kursk Oblast, some Ukrainian soldiers are increasingly pessimistic about the costly operation.
“Aviation is a key factor, and (Russian troops) are throwing all the aerial bombs every night, destroying us little by little,” said Ukrainian serviceman Oleksii with the 80th Air Assault Brigade that is currently deployed in Kursk Oblast.
When Ukrainian forces unexpectedly opened a new front in the northeast in August by breaking through Kursk Oblast, it was a significant morale-boosting moment for the country. Ukraine continued to advance forward day by day, shocking even Western allies with the stunning operation, despite being severely outgunned and outmanned across the front.
While unable to quickly prevent a deepening Ukrainian advance, Russian forces eventually began to counterattack in September to push the Ukrainians out. Military analysts say that there have been three waves thus far, with an upcoming one expected in December. Nearly 60,000 Russian troops are deployed in Kursk Oblast, Ukrainian public broadcaster Suspilne reported on Nov. 22, citing an undisclosed General Staff source.
The Kursk operation — the first time Russia was invaded by another country’s army since World War II — kicked off three months before uncertain U.S. presidential elections. Ukraine’s grip on Russian territory has given it leverage in potential negotiations. But that grip is weakening. Reuters reported on Nov. 23, citing Kyiv’s senior military source, that Ukraine has lost over 40% of the territory it previously captured in Kursk Oblast.
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SOURCE: www.kyivindependent.com
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