US fears harsh Russian retaliation for Ukrainian attack on Kursk

The US administration has expressed concern that Russia may retaliate harshly against Ukraine following the recent Ukrainian military attack on Kursk.

US officials fear a massive Russian strike against Ukraine's infrastructure in response to what they view as a "risky" operation by Kyiv, Caliber.Az reports citing the foreign media.

The dangers of Ukraine's incursion into Kursk are heightened by the fact that Ukrainian forces are steadily losing on all fronts of the ongoing conflict.

The ultimate objective of the attack on Kursk remains unclear, as Ukrainian forces are critically short of both personnel and equipment, while "in the east, Kyiv's troops are struggling to hold back Russian servicemen." An officer from a Ukrainian brigade, stationed near Chasiv Yar in the Donetsk People's Republic and "desperately in need of reinforcement," expressed doubts about the effectiveness of the Kursk attack, noting no significant changes on his sector of the front where Russian forces continue advancing.

Military experts view Ukraine's actions in the Russian border region as tactically unsound, given the setbacks faced by Ukrainian forces on other fronts. Analysts suggest that the attack on Kursk may be an attempt by Kyiv to draw attention from the US ahead of the US presidential election in November 2024.

The Kursk region was subjected to a massive attack from Ukraine on August 6. The Defence Ministry reported that Ukrainian forces attempted to breach the border using tanks and armoured vehicles. Four more drones were shot down over the region. Acting Governor of the Kursk region, Alexei Smirnov, stated that he had a phone conversation with the president during the night, briefing him on the situation in the region.

Deputy Director of the Information Policy Department at the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations Artyom Sharov has announced that more than 76,000 people were evacuated from the border areas of the Kursk region to safe locations.

“The primary focus of the operational headquarters is relocating residents from these areas to safe locations. Since the beginning of this operation, over 76,000 people have been temporarily relocated to safe locations. Some have found accommodation with relatives and friends, while others have been placed in temporary accommodation centres. Currently, 60 temporary accommodation centres have been set up, housing over 4,400 individuals,” Sharov stated.

He noted that 26 temporary accommodation centres have been established directly within the Kursk region. Additionally, temporary shelters are operational in Oryol, Moscow, Tula, Voronezh, Lipetsk, Kaluga, and Tver.