Well, Putin loves attention! When the whole world is fixated on US, the upcoming Trump administration; Putin did something that is going to put Russia again in the spotlight. Case in point: Moscow’s massive Kursk counteroffensive. Western media is reporting that Kremlin has amassed over 50,000 Russian and North Korean troops to take back control of Russia’s western Kursk region. Pentagon last week claimed that there were nearly 10,000 North Korean troops present inside Russia. However, both Russia and Ukraine have dismissed these claims.
The massive attack could be launched anytime soon but Putin has already begun giving feelers. Starting Nov 7, Russia has launched a large-scale wave of pressure and assault actions against Ukraine’s invading forces. On Nov 11, Russian forces used 50 guided aerial bombs to strike the positions of Ukraine’s forces.
Ukraine launched Kursk offensive in August, as it was later revealed that Russia already knew about such plans of Kyiv. Russia deliberately refrained from deploying major counter-assault and just used sporadic missile strikes and artillery fire to weigh down their advance.
In Moscow, the plan was clear. Its enemy was about to make a deadly mistake and Russia won’t stop it. So, when the Kursk offensive officially began in August, Russia deliberately allowed Ukraine’s fighters to occupy the region. Russia knew it would stretch Kyiv’s resources even thinner in eastern Ukraine, making it easier for Russian troops to advance westwards.
And that’ what exactly happened.
Kursk offensive didn’t stop Russian troops from continuing to score some tactical gains in Donetsk. Ukraine’s casualties were increasing rapidly in Donetsk, forcing Kyiv to now withdraw some units from Kursk to beef up defenses in eastern Ukraine.
Now, even media is reporting that Kursk essentially became a trap for Ukraine.
On the other hand, the Western support is faltering too, leaving Ukraine to fend for itself.
Though its Western allies issued stern warnings as the North Korean alliance took shape, they offered little additional support.
Fearful of escalation, and wary of bold moves as power shifts in the US, the West has shown little sign of willingness to go further. Trump administration has already made it clear: They won’t help Ukraine reclaim its lost territory but would adopt a pro-peace policy on realistic terms.
In that scenario, Ukraine was hoping that its occupation of Kursk may be used as a bargaining chip in future negotiations under Trump. Using Kursk, Ukraine wanted to apply political pressure on the Kremlin. But those dreams would stand dashed if Russian forces were to take back Kursk before January.
And given the low morale of Ukraine’s forces and troops, taking back Kursk shouldn’t be a big deal. As we have already seen, Kyiv troops are deserting at an alarming rate in the face of a massive Russian counteroffensive. An MP from Ukraine last month revealed that as many as 100,000 soldiers have either deserted or went absent without official leave. Some of the soldiers who have went AWOL are quite high-profile, skilled at their job. Certainly, their absence has hit the morale of the troops extremely hard.
Many soldiers are exhausted from being constantly on the front lines. They have to keep fighting for long periods without any breaks, even when they’re under heavy fire.
So, you can very well imagine the outcome when Putin would unleash a massive force of 50,000 troops on Kursk to reclaim the Russian land.