AFU overcome Russia's superiority in manpower and equipment with operation in Kursk region - ISW

This is stated in a report by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), Ukrinform reports.

According to analysts, from January to July 2024, Russian troops occupied a total of 1,175 square kilometres of Ukraine's territory.

For comparison, as a result of the operation in the Kursk region, the Ukrainian military occupied approximately 800 square kilometres over six days from 6 to 12 August, and as of 17 August, they had advanced to a depth of approximately 28 kilometres.

"Ukraine's use of manoeuvre in the Kursk region is an example of how a Ukrainian operation combined with operational surprise can lead to greater territorial gains in a much shorter period of time and with fewer manpower and equipment. A prolonged positional war, on the other hand, will only exacerbate Ukraine's lack of resources, and a protracted war will increase the costs for Ukraine and its partners," the analysts say.

It is noted that Ukraine's ability to achieve a quick manoeuvre in the Kursk region shows that Ukrainian forces have learnt the lessons of the past months of positional warfare.

As reported, the Defence Forces' offensive in the Kursk region of the Russian Federation began on 6 August 2024.

So far, the Armed Forces of Ukraine have taken control of more than a thousand square kilometres of Kursk region with dozens of settlements.

On 15 August, President Volodymyr Zelensky chaired a meeting of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief's Staff, at which it was announced that a military commandant's office would be established in the controlled territories of Kursk region. Major General Eduard Moskalev was appointed its head.

According to the British newspaper The Independent, the Ukrainian Armed Forces could have captured about 2,000 Russian soldiers during the operation in the Kursk region.

Photo is illustrative