Austrian colonel on Kursk operation: Ukraine wants to get out of war of attrition imposed by Russia

Ukraine's well-planned offensive operation in the Kursk region is clearly an attempt by Ukraine to get out of the war of attrition that Russia imposed on it in the Donbas and seize the initiative on the battlefield.

Colonel of the Austrian Armed Forces Markus Reisner, head of the Institute for Officer Training at the Theresian Military Academy, said this in an exclusive comment to an Ukrinform correspondent.

"The Ukrainian offensive in the Kursk region is very likely only the beginning of a series of military measures by Ukraine aimed at breaking the momentum of the Russian summer offensive. In general, this can be interpreted as a 'Befreiungsschlag' ('a counterstrike for liberation'; a strike aimed at de-escalating a dangerous or uncomfortable situation - ed.). Ukraine wants to regain the initiative. The alternative would be to continue to be dictated by the Russian war of attrition in the Donbas. Ukraine strives to do anything to break this closed circle," he said.

The Austrian military analyst noted that the Ukrainian offensive operation in the Kursk region was "carefully planned and based on the principles of surprise and deception."

According to Reisner, in the short-term perspective, Ukraine's offensive in the Kursk region is aimed at raising the morale of the Ukrainian population, and in the medium term - "to tie up the Russian troops that were transferred from the Donbas and thus break the dynamics of the Russians there." In the long term, according to the Austrian colonel, with the Kursk offensive, Ukraine seeks to "improve its own position on the battlefield by creating a buffer zone in order to - if necessary and appropriate - take a more favorable negotiating position."

At the same time, he believes that at this time, the offensive momentum of the Ukrainian Armed Forces has declined and the effect of surprise has already passed.

"Ukraine is still trying to push forward where possible, but first of all to prepare for counterattacks. At the same time, it is trying to occupy advantageous areas of terrain, such as rivers. This also means preparing for a defensive operation, because now it is important to hold the territory it captured for as long as possible. The flanks must be protected and the terrain fortified," the Austrian military expert said.

Ukraine's offensive operation in Russia's Kursk region began on August 6, 2024. As of August 20, the Ukrainian Armed Forces were in control of more than 1,260 square kilometers of territory (93 towns and villages) in the Kursk region.

President Volodymyr Zelensky previously stated that Ukraine's operation in the Kursk region helped destroy the logistics of the Russian army and deplete their reserves.

He also noted that the operation in the Kursk region was absolutely fair and that in this way Ukraine was sending the war to where Russia brought it to Ukrainian land.