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Has Zelensky altered the course of the war - or fatally poked the Russian bear? Experts reveal just what Ukraine hopes to achieve with Kursk offensive and whether it could prove a tactical masterstroke
UK Daily Mail ^ | 13 August 2024 | By David Averre

Posted on 08/13/2024 12:24:24 PM PDT by dennisw

Whether it could prove a tactical masterstroke

MailOnline examines the invasion so far and assesses what may come next

On Tuesday, August 6, around 1,000 brave Ukrainian soldiers supported by a few tanks launched what seemed like a reckless at best - and catastrophic at worst - incursion into Russia's Kursk region.

Within 48 hours of the first reports of the border breach, Russia's stonefaced army chief Valery Gerasimov - who reportedly dismissed intelligence reports indicating a Ukrainian troop buildup along the border two weeks prior - declared the invasion had been stopped in its tracks.

Now, one week later, not only have Kyiv's soldiers made a fool of Gerasimov, but AFU commander Oleksandr Syrskyi claims his troops have seized one square kilometre of territory for each soldier that poured across the border - and that the initial invasion force has been reinforced by thousands more troops backed by Western armour.

With the offensive still grinding on, a Ukrainian foreign ministry spokesperson declared today that 'as long as Putin continues the war, he will receive such responses from Ukraine'.

That defiant statement came hours after his president Volodymyr Zelensky told the world that 'war was coming home' to Russia and vowed to 'kill the Russian terrorists where they are and where they launch their strikes from'.

MailOnline spoke to several experts to examine the invasion so far, explain what its goals might be, and predict how long the valiant Ukrainian units tasked with launching the first invasion of Russia since World War II can hope to hold out.

(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: 0dailytroll; consequences; davidaverre; doorknobmaximus; escalation; flyingmonkimus; jadmptbeem; killkillkillforpeace; mic; minumuswittimus; sededindedovic; spamspamspam; tothelastukrainian; ukraine; welfarewar; wrongbromaximus; zeeperporn
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1 posted on 08/13/2024 12:24:24 PM PDT by dennisw
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To: dennisw

There are no ‘experts’ on this type of thing.


2 posted on 08/13/2024 12:28:45 PM PDT by adorno (CCH)
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To: dennisw

They should capture all of Russia within a couple weeks.


3 posted on 08/13/2024 12:32:21 PM PDT by Rennes Templar (Come back, President Trump.)
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To: dennisw

Fake buffoon Tsar has Kursk egg on his face.

4 posted on 08/13/2024 12:32:24 PM PDT by dennisw
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To: dennisw
and predict how long the valiant Ukrainian units tasked with launching the first invasion of Russia since World War II can hope to hold out.

Reminds me of the valiant troopers of Custer's Seventh Cavalry...

5 posted on 08/13/2024 12:32:58 PM PDT by kiryandil (FR Democrat Party operatives! Rally in defense of your Colombian cartel stooge Merchan!)
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To: dennisw

You mean the experts that had no clue the Ukies were planning this. Based on history one thing both sides should be good at is Maskirova. You could ask Model or Guderian about that skill. Thing I gon’t get is with satellites that can read license plates how we don’t know exactly what’s going on.


6 posted on 08/13/2024 12:33:32 PM PDT by xkaydet65
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To: dennisw

Inside Putin’s meetings with top Russian security officials: he yelled at Kursk mayor
Story by Sededin Dedovic • 9h •

The Commander of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Oleksandr Syrskyi, stated that Kyiv controls 1,000 square kilometers of Russian territory and that the “offensive in the Kursk region, which began a week ago, continues,” reports the BBC.

After more than 120,000 people were evacuated from the Russian border region of Kursk, local authorities are now evacuating residents from the Belgorod region as Ukraine continues its surprise attack on Russian territory.

Another 60,000 people are expected to be evacuated. Ukraine controls 28 villages in the Kursk region, the local governor reported to Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday afternoon. “The main task of the Ministry of Defense is to repel and expel the enemy from our territory,” said Putin.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/inside-putin-s-meetings-with-top-russian-security-officials-he-yelled-at-kursk-mayor/ar-AA1oIC8t?ocid=msedgntp&pc=U531&cvid=4f3aa14589094a88bd763e08ad06df5a&ei=24


7 posted on 08/13/2024 12:34:49 PM PDT by dennisw
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To: adorno

What is the strategic goal here? The Ukes invaded the least guarded part of the border and created a bulge. For what, exactly?

If to improve their negotiating position, they miscalculated. No ‘peace talks’ will begin while they hold these positions. They are temporary, at best, with no air cover, no trenching, no fixed defenses, INSIDE OF RUSSIA. The russkies won’t take long to eradicate them. Then what? How many dead for a failed PR stunt?


8 posted on 08/13/2024 12:37:11 PM PDT by TonyinLA (I don't have sufficient information to formulate a reasoned opinion said no lefty ever.)
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To: dennisw

I wonder how many of “Ukraine’s” troops are USA/NATO troops?


9 posted on 08/13/2024 12:37:32 PM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum (The worst thing about censorship is █████ ██ ████ ████ ████ █ ███████ ████. FJB.)
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To: dennisw

>> Whether it could prove a tactical masterstroke
... or maybe it’s merely Zzzzzzellinsskyy’s taking the tactical master bait...


10 posted on 08/13/2024 12:44:11 PM PDT by Nervous Tick ("First the Saturday people, then the Sunday people...": ISLAM is the problem!)
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To: TonyinLA

Since by sitting still the Ukes were slowly losing any change up has the potential to be positive and yield unexpected results. I would not assume that this will be crushed by Putin anytime soon and positively. Something has changed here and I would guess that we are behind some unseen factors to this that are yet to be revealed.


11 posted on 08/13/2024 12:44:43 PM PDT by desertsolitaire ( )
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

>I wonder how many of “Ukraine’s” troops are USA/NATO troops?

They have videos of soldiers running around and calling the Ukranian troops “jabronis,” so I guessed that they were probably not British.


12 posted on 08/13/2024 12:48:14 PM PDT by struggle
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To: dennisw

There is one truth. Ukraine loses no matter how it goes. They can only win with heavy support from us. If they lose, they lose. But if they seem to be doing very well, that puts Russia into a corner.... do they accept a NATO supplied, supported and directed defeat inside Russia? OR do they go very big somehow?

The NATO game plan is that they will shake things up, and cause Putin to fall from power. But it’s actually backing them into a very bad corner where they accept a loss, a change in government, etc... OR escalate bigly. And such an escalation doesn’t have to be nuclear. Hyperbarics or glide bombs hitting Kiev, the seat of government, the not so concealed NATO training and supply enclaves in Ukraine. And those troops inside Russia have no hope of air defense, they can bomb the living hell out of them. The gas line to the EU is right there.
And then there is nuclear.

There is no path to Uke victory unless one erroneously believes this small incursion will cause Russia to depose Putin and install a DC/London approved Ivy educated WEF leader.
Nothing in Russian history suggests anything remotely like this will occur.


13 posted on 08/13/2024 12:59:38 PM PDT by DesertRhino (2016 Star Wars, 2020 The Empire Strikes Back, 2024... RETURN OF THE JEDI. )
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To: kiryandil

Or Armistead at Gettysburg


14 posted on 08/13/2024 1:02:34 PM PDT by buckalfa
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To: DesertRhino

The chances the Russians will use tactical nukes just went up a few dozen times. Why to make a point. Russia has always had tactical nukes as part of its tactical doctrine they do not view them as the taboo the war does. They have been holding back because they are down wind of any ground bursts a airburst over a major troop concentration doesn’t leave a huge fallout plume and it sends a message that NATO not the USA would match. I would put even money on tactical nukes by the election hell of an October surprise too.


15 posted on 08/13/2024 1:09:46 PM PDT by GenXPolymath
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To: TonyinLA
The invasion of Russian territory proper by Ukrainian forces is a major political and military embarrassment to Putin. It obligates him to reallocate scarce military power and logistical support to meet the new and unexpected threat. This in turn weakens the Russian grip on Ukrainian territory. That could provide an opportunity for Ukraine to retake Crimea or parts of Donbas.

As for the "no peace talks" mantra, there are ways around such a stance or it can be changed for the sake of peace.

16 posted on 08/13/2024 1:10:27 PM PDT by Rockingham
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To: dennisw

...and look how much of our American dollars to get to this point🤔

smdh


17 posted on 08/13/2024 1:12:26 PM PDT by thesligoduffyflynns (loose lips sink ships obvious whete he takes his orders from)
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To: dennisw

Zelensky loves offensives. He has quite a bit to show off (~1000 sq. kilometers) for modest Ukrainian casualties.

The Russian army might have a few more forcibly retired generals soon. One or two might actually be competent.

On the other hand, Putin might gain support for his costly and probably somewhat unpopular war.


18 posted on 08/13/2024 1:18:29 PM PDT by Brian Griffin
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To: GenXPolymath

“Russians will use tactical nukes”

The Russians will not use nukes on their own territory or territory they hope to control.


19 posted on 08/13/2024 1:20:03 PM PDT by Brian Griffin
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To: dennisw

Wonder how many of our spooks are doing the dirty work for Ukraine couldn’t handle.

Zelensky whined they were down for the count and needed more arms and money and all of a sudden just like that they take some land from Russia.


20 posted on 08/13/2024 1:22:05 PM PDT by Vaduz
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