“Which means that Russia could have taken this land at any time. But took it now only to have the better negotiation stance”
Obviously. Once Ukraine had the land, getting it back a week later was no different than getting it back a year later...so why hurry? Being part of Russia it was obviously well mapped out, so coordinates for the Turkey Shoot were available. Also, most of the locals did get out in time, which meant that virtually every hiding place was known to the Russian military.
As some of the smarter analysts (the ones that the Zeepers ignore) noted, the plan almost definitely was to capture the nuclear power plant, still another 30 clicks or so from the furthest front line (I think), but Russia got their defenses in place to prevent that. At that point, the Neocons should have ordered Ukraine to withdraw.
They didn’t.
You Russia lovers write the most nonsensical fantasies.
Putin tried to take back Kurskv this entire time, suffered huge losses and called on North Korean trips in the process.
But now you look up at the Putin posters taped on your bedroom ceilings, and tell yourselves he could have taken Kursk all along.
Oh, and the Ukrainians were torturing the Kursk locals, but he just let that go on for many months because it would be more “strategic” to take out back now.
Just wondering, which part of your ecstatic fantasy explains why he let Ukraine invade Rissia in the first place?
The facts are that Kursk was a humiliation for Putin from the start, as were the huge losses suffered in the constant efforts to take it back.
Undoubtedly he was smart enough not to pull back from Eastern Ukraine in order to take Kursk sooner, but that’s not the same as what you’re saying.