Anonymous US official: The second wave of Russian troops is gathering, and reinforcements are expected to arrive at the Kursk front within two weeks
2024-08-22
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On August 21, local time, an anonymous US official said that while Ukraine continued to launch military operations in Russia's Kursk region, it had not yet established a defense line in the areas it controlled. The US official believed that if the defense line was not built quickly, the Ukrainian army might soon face the threat of a Russian counterattack.
The U.S. official reportedly pointed out that Russia did not take the (Ukrainian action against Kursk) seriously at first. This statement is consistent with the statement made by U.S. Department of Defense spokesman Pat Ryder on Tuesday (20th), who said at the time that only a "small number" of Russian troops had been observed moving toward the Kursk region. The aforementioned U.S. official added that the United States is now observing that a second wave of Russian troops are gathering and preparing to go to the Kursk region, and "most of the reinforcements are expected to arrive at the front within two weeks."
▲On August 18, an important bridge in Kursk Oblast, Russia was destroyed by the Ukrainian army. Photo courtesy of Visual China
According to Xinhua News Agency, in response to the escalating tensions in Kursk, Belgorod and Bryansk regions bordering Ukraine, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced the formation of three new army groups on the 20th. Russian Defense Minister Belousov pointed out at a meeting on the 20th that the General Staff of the Russian Federation Armed Forces and the "Belgorod", "Bryansk" and "Kursk" army groups are responsible for protecting the citizens and territories of the three regions from drone attacks and other means of attack.
Mark Cancian, a senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a US think tank, believes that Ukraine's strategy of sacrificing defense in exchange for continued offensive in the region may lead to huge costs. "They should draw the most easily defensible line in the area they have controlled, and then work hard to hold this line." Cancian's suggestion is also in line with Ukrainian President Zelensky's established goal of establishing a "buffer zone" in Russia. However, the report said that in terms of the current situation, Ukraine does not seem to be ready to stop.
Kancian suggested that the Ukrainian army go on the defensive and stop wasting the country's already limited human resources.
It has been two weeks since Ukrainian troops entered Russia. "In the next few days, we will see what the Ukrainians do, whether they continue to gradually attack or switch to defense," Kancian added. "It is also possible that they will continue to launch a large-scale offensive. Although I personally think this is unlikely, it is not completely impossible."
Red Star News reporter Li Jinrui intern Chen Hanyu Xinhua News Agency, China News Service
Editor Zhang Xun Responsible Editor Feng Lingling
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