Syrsky explained why he sent troops to Kursk Oblast, and not to defend Pokrovsk
The strike on the weakly defended Kursk Oblast, says Oleksandr Syrsky, forced the Russians to redeploy significant forces there and gave the Ukrainian army time to recover. However, the operation did not stop the offensive on Pokrovsk.
Former Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Syrsky, in an interview with the BBC disputed the opinion that the forces involved in the Kursk operation would have been better deployed to defend the eastern front.
According to him, in the summer of 2024, Russia was advancing on all 13 operational directions, having a multiple numerical advantage in some. The Ukrainian command sought an opportunity to disrupt these plans by striking where Russian defenses were weaker.
Such a section was found opposite Sumy Oblast. As Syrsky recounted, Russia had redeployed its main forces from there to the Kharkiv direction, where they got bogged down in border battles. The border was primarily covered by conscripts, and individual battalions were stretched over 10-12 kilometers.
In Ukraine's offensive grouping, according to the general, there were three incomplete air assault brigades and two assault battalions. Other units followed and fortified the captured territory. Two brigades prepared for the operation for a month, while the third was recovering after heavy fighting near Toretsk.
Syrsky claims that near Pokrovsk, these brigades, given their condition, would not have played a significant role against an almost hundred-thousand-strong Russian grouping. In Kursk Oblast, they were able to breach weak defenses.
According to his data, in a month, Ukrainian troops took control of 1273 square kilometers of Russian territory. Russia was forced to redeploy about 70,000 servicemen to the Kursk direction, including paratroopers, marines, and the most prepared motorized rifle units.
“This gave us the opportunity to effectively prepare reserves, give our troops a breather, and restore the combat effectiveness of those troops who suffered losses in such heavy battles,” Syrsky stated.
He also noted that the operation raised the morale of Ukrainian servicemen.
The Kursk operation did not stop the Russian offensive on Pokrovsk. Syrsky himself acknowledged this. Ukrainian forces also failed to hold the captured territory in Russia. However, Syrsky considers the operation successful: according to him, it forced Russia to redeploy significant forces to Kursk Oblast and gave the Ukrainian army time to prepare reserves and restore combat effectiveness.
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