ISW: Russia shifts troops from Ukraine to Kursk region amid strategic realignments

The situation in the Kursk region has forced Russia to redeploy some of its troops from Ukrainian territory.

Analysts have observed over the past few weeks signs that the Russian command is relocating troops from the northern part of the Kharkiv region, the Kupiansk-Svatove-Kreminna line, and the western part of the Zaporizhzhia region to the Kursk region of Russia, Caliber.Az reports, citing a report by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).

Recently, however, ISW experts have noticed that the Russian command is moving forces to the Kursk region that were likely intended for future, higher-priority offensive operations in the Pokrovsk direction.

Zelenskyy stated that Russia has diverted roughly 60,000 troops from Ukraine to Kursk Oblast, and Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief General Oleksandr Syrskyi reported on August 27 that Russia has redeployed over 30,000 troops from the frontline in Ukraine to Kursk Oblast.

Analysts note that Russian President Vladimir Putin has so far avoided redeploying capable and experienced frontline units, which are likely needed to drive Ukrainian forces out of the Kursk region.

They believe that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's statement that Ukrainian forces plan to hold the region indefinitely suggests that Ukrainian troops will maintain positions over an area of more than 1,100 square kilometres until Putin decides to deploy the aforementioned forces.

ISW assesses that Putin is attempting to preserve the Russian drive on Pokrovsk at the expense of delaying the clearing of Kursk but that the incursion is likely to have a variety of other important impacts on Russian military operations over various time periods regardless of its impact on the current Pokrovsk operation.