Shocking details have emerged regarding Ukraine’s offensive in Russia’s Kursk Region, revealing how the plan simply backfired. According to a recent report from the Russian Defense Ministry, Kiev’s total losses in this operation have surpassed a staggering 20,000. These figures mark a grim chapter in the conflict, where Ukraine’s ambitious attack has not only been contained but is now being pushed back by Russian forces.
In their Sunday update, On Oct 6, Moscow’s Defense Ministry highlighted that Russian troops have continued their counteroffensive in the area, preventing additional units from Ukraine from crossing into the region. The fighting in the border areas has been intense, and Ukraine’s attempts to make inroads have been met with Russian firepower.
Well, the scale of Ukraine’s recent losses is staggering. In the last 24 hours alone, Ukraine military has lost around 200 soldiers, as per Russia. Besides manpower, Ukraine has also seen the destruction of key equipment.
Ukraine has lost significant military assets during this operation, with over 130 tanks, 66 infantry fighting vehicles, and nearly 100 armored personnel carriers destroyed. These figures reflect the scale of the devastation and the uphill battle that Ukraine is facing in this ongoing conflict.
Despite the initial gains made by Ukraine in the early days of the offensive, Russian troops have successfully managed to halt and reverse their progress. Over the past 24 hours alone, Russian forces have repelled four counterattacks by Ukraine within the region.
Ukraine’s officials earlier claimed that their offensive in the Kursk region was part of a broader strategy to influence public opinion in Russia and gain a stronger negotiating position in potential peace talks with Moscow. The hope was that by achieving tactical victories, Ukraine could exert pressure on Russia both on the battlefield and diplomatically. However, this strategy appears to have backfired.
In response to Ukraine’s efforts, Moscow has made it clear that it remains open to negotiations. However, the Russian government insists that talks can only proceed once all Kyiv forces have completely withdrawn from Russian territory.
So, Russia has turned Kursk into a graveyard for Kyiv forces. Who’s responsible for these 20,000 deaths?
Politico reported last month that senior officials both in Russia and Ukraine knew beforehand that such an offensive inside Russia would prove to be suicidal.
When Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky first proposed the idea of Kursk offensive, he was advised by now former armed forces commander Gen. Valery Zaluzhny not to go ahead with it.
Among other senior officials who opposed the offensive was the highly respected Emil Ishkulov, commander of Ukraine’s 80th Air Assault Brigade. He was dismissed in July amid protests from high-ranking officers who called for him to be kept in post.
The commanders said in a protest video, “We don’t understand why commanders who have unquestioned authority among the personnel, who have a victorious combat record and experience of a big war, are out of favor to the ranks of the armed forces.”
Politico cited local media as saying Ishkulov was dismissed because he “opposed a task that didn’t correspond to the brigade’s strength.”
Ishkulov was critical of the Kursk operation, fearing his brigade could eventually be too exposed inside Russia and that the casualty toll could rise drastically.
Ishkulov knew it was a gamble, one that could turn Kursk into a graveyard for Ukrainian forces. But he was sacked.
The question is: Will the West ever sack and prosecute Zelensky for sacrificing 20,000 soldiers on Russian soil?
