Unconventional Ukrainian offensive stuns Russian forces in Kursk region, says General Malomuzh
Retired Ukrainian intelligence chief General Mykola Malomuzh disclosed that Russia was unprepared for an offensive from Ukraine's territory into the Kursk region. Speaking on air with Espreso TV, Malomuzh pointed out that lacking significant military formations and fortifications in Kursk was a critical lapse for Russia. He attributed the operation's success to catching Russia off guard, proposing that this shift signals the possibility of employing unconventional warfare techniques..
According to Malomuzh, the Russians did not expect Ukrainian strategic maneuvers targeting the Kursk region. "Effectiveness is achieved through operations that the enemy doesn't anticipate and are both highly sensitive and systematic. The actions in the Kursk direction are a clear example. We prepped our forces and means where the enemy wasn't expecting, while executing diversionary strikes," he emphasized.
He further explained that Russia had concentrated its military efforts along ten different fronts within Ukraine, leaving the Kursk region undermanned and unprepared. The Russian forces in Kursk, largely inexperienced and uncompelled for actual combat, either surrendered or fled when faced with real military actions. This included not just regular soldiers but even members of the Russian National Guard and the "Akhmat" unit, along with FSB officers who had earlier vowed to hold the positions.
Elaborating on the strategy, Malomuzh mentioned that multiple such operations could disorient Russian command, leading them to redeploy troops, allowing Ukraine to strike strategically in unexpected areas. Subsequently, these efforts would facilitate the liberation of Ukrainian territories, Malomuzh believes.
Meanwhile, American journalists reported that both Ukraine and Russia are bracing for an escalation following the initiation of hostilities in the Kursk region. Ukrainian authorities are evacuating 28 settlements in the Sumy region, anticipating retaliatory strikes from Russia. Russia's Ministry of Defense announced the dispatch of additional reinforcements, including substantial military hardware, to the western Kursk region.
Reflecting on the developments, pro-Ukrainian Russian partisans reported that Russia lost control over 800 square kilometers during three days of fighting in the Kursk region, a claim which remains unverified by the Ukrainian Armed Forces' General Staff. On August 6, when media outlet NV inquired a Defense Intelligence representative about the situation in Kursk, he referenced another volunteer unit, the "Russian Volunteer Corps" (RDK), clarifying that RDK was not involved in the incursion into Russian territory.