The Russian military is struggling to contain Ukraine’s incursion into the Kursk region, according to a report from the Institute for the Study of War. The overlapping command structures in Moscow are causing friction and confusion among its forces, hindering the response to the Ukrainian offensive.
Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov appointed his deputy minister Yunus-Bek Yevkurov deputy of a coordinating council tasked with organizing the military response in Kursk, Belgorod, and Bryansk. Additionally, five people were tasked to address issues related to logistics, military-technical support, civilian evacuations, and medical support. Three groups of forces were created to protect civilians from drone strikes and other attacks.
Despite Ukraine’s successful advance of more than 28 kilometers into Russia’s Kursk region, Ukraine’s military intelligence agency (GRU) stated that the invading forces have a plan for an all-out response. GRU deputy head Vadym Skibitsky mentioned that Russia is planning a response, and Ukraine is aware of these plans to disrupt them.
