Ukraine secretly prepared plan to break into Kursk region, soldiers learned about it day before - NYT. PHOTOS
Ukraine was preparing a plan to break through into Russia's Kursk region in strict secrecy. The officers learned about it only three days before the offensive, and the rank-and-file soldiers learned about it a day before.
This is reported by The New York Times, whose journalists visited the "Sudzha" border crossing point and made a photo report, Censor.NET informs.
According to the newspaper, Ukrainian troops broke through the border on 6 August in a surprise attack that began with the clearing of the tracks. Ukrainian armoured vehicles broke through the weak defences of Russian conscripts and border guards. The Ukrainian armed forces managed to advance tens of kilometres into Russian territory.
The NYT writes that in doing so, Ukraine has changed the course of the war - especially as Russian troops advance on some other fronts.
"I'm happy to drive a tank to Russia, and it's better than they (Russians - ed.) were driving tanks to our country," the Ukrainian soldier told American journalists.
The publication writes that there are many risks for Ukraine.
"The offensive is aimed at forcing Russia to withdraw its troops from the fierce struggle in eastern Donbas, which has not happened yet, and to gain leverage in peace talks, although they are not scheduled. The question of whether Ukraine will be able to hold Russian land long enough to achieve these strategic goals remains open," the article says.
The secrecy of preparation
Ukraine was preparing for the breakthrough into the Kursk region in the utmost secrecy, the newspaper notes. Thick foliage in oak and maple forests hid heavy weapons. And demonstrative military exercises masked troop movements. The Ukrainian military spent the night in abandoned houses in villages.
According to the deputy commander of one of the Ukrainian brigades, Lieutenant Colonel Artem, only a limited number of soldiers knew about the plans to attack the Kursk region.
"There was a very strict limit of those who knew about the attack plan," the military said.
According to him, the officers learned about the preparations for the operation only three days before it began, and the rank-and-file soldiers were actually informed at the last minute - the day before the offensive began.
"The idea that we would actually enter the territory of Russia seemed unbelievable," the soldier said.
As news of the offensive spread through the ranks, the Ukrainian army relied on the discretion of its soldiers. According to Artem, officers did not confiscate soldiers' phones, hoping that they would keep the secret.
The strategy was to quickly break through the border defences and manoeuvre on the roads, blocking Russian counterattacks and taking advantage of the hilly landscape in this part of Russia, interspersed with swamps and lakes, which limits the Russians' ability to move off the road.
According to Colonel Artem, this attack has already achieved its goal to some extent.
"This is a blow to the authority of Russia, which presents itself as a victorious empire. We have created a buffer zone inside this country," said the Ukrainian Armed Forces lieutenant colonel.
The secrecy with which the offensive was prepared was a decisive factor. The NYT believes that the Ukrainian authorities drew the appropriate conclusions after the failed counter-offensive by the Ukrainian Armed Forces last summer in southern Ukraine, the preparations for which were widely publicised in the media.
The publication notes that the Ukrainian authorities have been silent on the events in the Kursk region for almost a week.
However, according to the NYT, for Ukrainian civilians living on the border with Russia in the Sumy region, the secrecy was costly. Unable to warn them in advance, the Ukrainian authorities urgently evacuated people when Russia responded to the invasion of Kursk region by shelling the Sumy border.
As a reminder, on Monday, 12 August, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy officially confirmed that Ukraine was conducting an operation in the Kursk region of the Russian Federation. Until now, the Ukrainian authorities have kept silent on the breakthrough in Kursk region.
