Russia reels after ‘pathetic’ Kursk counter-offensive sees brigade ‘probably’ destroyed | World | News

Russia’s performance in the besieged Kursk region has been “pathetic in the five months which have elapsed since Ukraine lunched its stunning incursion in the summer”, a military expert has said.

And others have suggested President Vladimir Putin continues to sacrifice vast numbers of troops, with one – the 155th Naval Infantry likely to have been destroyed and rebuilt several times over at the cost of thousands of personnel.

The Kursk region in Ukraine has become a critical flashpoint in the ongoing conflict, embodying both strategic importance and symbolic stakes.

Despite Russia‘s persistent efforts to regain control over Kursk, the offensive has unravelled disastrously, underscoring deep operational failures within the Russian military.

The inability to secure significant gains in the region represents a profound humiliation for President Vladimir Putin, whose ambitions have repeatedly collided with the realities on the ground.

In a lengthy post on X, Finnish blogger Joni Askola said: “The symbolism of Ukraine‘s Kursk operation goes well beyond its military significance. A year after Ukraine‘s unsuccessful summer offensive, it showed the world that front lines can shift and that Russia is vulnerable and can be defeated

“When Ukraine launched its Kursk operation in August, it humiliated Russia and boosted Ukrainian morale. This came at a time when the world doubted Ukraine and overlooked its earlier successes following the failed summer counteroffensive.”

Ukraine had demonstrated to the world its ability to plan operations while maintaining strong operational security, underlining its ability to surprise the Kremlin, Mr Askola stressed.

He added: “Nearly five months into the operation, Russia has still been unable to drive Ukraine out of the region.

“This is quite pathetic, especially considering how hard Russia has tried for months to achieve this.

“The land isn’t particularly significant since Ukraine has no real territorial ambitions in that area. The symbolism of the operation and the message it conveyed to the world were far more crucial. Nonetheless, any territory Ukraine can retain serves as valuable leverage.

“Despite some tactical successes at an unsustainable cost and the numerous challenges Ukraine faces, Russia‘s offensive in the east has failed to meet its objectives this year.”

For Russia, reclaiming Kursk would represent a major propaganda victory, allowing the Kremlin to project an image of resilience and competence to its domestic audience.

However, the unfolding debacle has instead laid bare the structural weaknesses within the Russian military apparatus.

Poor co-ordination, inadequate logistical support, and low morale among troops are believed to have contributed to the collapse of the offensive, leaving Russian forces overstretched and vulnerable.

The Russian navy’s 155th Naval Infantry Brigade is widely regarded as having one of the highest turnover of any regiment or brigade in Russia’s 34-month wider war on Ukraine.

The 2,000-person brigade has been destroyed and rebuilt many times since the Russians escalated their invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Forbes reported last week.

Separately, the 810th Naval Infantry Brigade is understood to have pulled back from the western edge of the 250-square-mile salient occupied by Ukrainian forces to the village of Plekhove further to the east.

Russia is also understood to have flooded the region with North Korean soldiers, vast numbers of whom have been killed, according to Volodymyr Zelensky.

The Ukrainian President, in his nightly address on Friday, said: “We see that neither the Russian military nor their North Korean overseers have any interest in ensuring the survival of these North Koreans.”

White House spokesperson John Kirby, also speaking on Friday, suggested as many as 1,000 North Korean soldiers have died in the last week alone.