"Rain, snow, cold, mud, worms, rats and glide bombs": "gloomy Christmas" of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in Kursk region
The Economist magazine devoted its article to how Ukrainian troops are “celebrating a gloomy Christmas” in the part of the Kursk region of the Russian Federation that they have occupied since August.
"Major Ivan Bakarev speaks frankly about Ukraine's problems. The artillery commander of the 82nd Airborne Assault Brigade says that Vladimir Putin's people are tightening the screws, and this was the case even before North Korean soldiers began to enter the battle," the publication says.
The magazine notes that the Russians have a "massive" advantage in almost everything - in people, artillery, equipment - and are moving from mechanized attacks to infantry with great success. As a result, Ukraine has already lost "about half" of the territory in Kursk that it once controlled.
"The failures began when Kyiv replaced elite units with less experienced ones at the end of September. This was a mistake, the major believes. Now the Russians are trying to push back the main group, attacking on the eastern and western flanks. "All units in the Kursk region have gone on the defensive," the magazine quotes the opinion of the above-mentioned Ukrainian Armed Forces Major Ivan Bakarev.
The publication suggests that the urgency of the Russian counterattack appears to be linked to the upcoming inauguration of Donald Trump.
"Vladimir Putin wants Kursk to be a done deal by January 20, not a shameful topic for discussion. Volodymyr Zelensky also seems determined to keep the territory as a bargaining chip," the magazine notes.
According to The Economist's sources, Ukrainians are holding on to Kursk region with their last strength, although conditions on the ground (and underground) are getting worse.
"Rain, slush, snow, cold, mud, bugs, worms, rats and gliding bombs," complains 33-year-old officer of the 95th Airborne Assault Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Ruslan Mokritsky to British journalists.
"The Russians can drop up to 40 glide bombs on one position in a few hours," he says. "In Kursk, death is always close, it practically holds your hand," Mokritsky admits.
"Four and a half months later, it may still be too early to judge the Kursk operation. Conceived in Ukraine's moment of desperation, when Commander-in-Chief Alexander Syrsky was threatened with dismissal, the operation failed to achieve its goal of diverting troops from Russia's main efforts in the Donetsk region ," the magazine concludes.
English version :: Read in English "Rain, snow, cold, mud, worms, rats, and gliding bombs": the Ukrainian Armed Forces' "gloomy Christmas" in the Kursk region