Attack or diversion? The Russians are caught off guard by the fierce fighting in the Kursk region

“Ukrainian defense forces continue the operation in the Kursk region. Enemy air force attacks with guided bombs on the territory of Russia. There are currently seven raids in which 15 KAB bombs were used, and 445 artillery attacks. Ukrainian soldiers repelled 47 attacks by the occupying army in that direction,” the staff said according to Ukrainská pravda.

Russian sources also admit to the Ukrainian attack: “Ukrainian forces have indeed gone on the offensive in the Kursk region,” reported the Russian Telegram channel Vojenkor Kotěnok. According to him, the Ukrainians have concentrated their troops near Suži and are advancing towards Berdin, Bolsh, Soldatski and Puškarne. “The situation is difficult. There are losses,” he said.

The Ukrainians attacked from night to Sunday in three waves with the strength of the battalion. They advanced not only on Berdino, near which they had already penetrated the village of Novosotnicki, but also on Leonidovo, southeast of Korenov and further east of Suži.

The Russians still have no idea what the direction of the main Ukrainian attack in the area is, which was confirmed by another Russian telegram channel, Rybar, in addition to Vojenkor Kotěnko. He speculates that the next attack may come from the Ukrainian city of Sumy, where the Ukrainians are concentrating their forces and where they have a large number of jamming means for radio-electronic warfare.

The Russians are trying to stop advancing mechanized convoys in the Kursk region, and in addition to airstrikes and drone attacks, only three out of seven armored vehicles reached Berdin. However, it causes them difficulties because the Ukrainians have deployed a large number of electronic warfare devices, so the Russians cannot use drones in the usual numbers.

Only drones with optical fibers could be deployed instead of wires, which are more difficult to disrupt, and some FPV drones and waiting Lancet ammunition. The Ukrainians had previously warned that Russian drones using optical fibers would be a tough nut to crack.

Another problem for the Russians is the deployment of weapons with a longer range. Russian positions near the village of Bolšoj Soldatskoje were shelled by the Ukrainians as well as other unspecified places with rockets from HIMARS rocket launchers.

However, Russian troops have advanced southeast of Suži, where they are attempting a counterattack, the Institute for the Study of War said. They advanced near Makhnovka, where Russian paratroopers were deployed and where, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, the Russians lost an infantry battalion. North Koreans were also part of it.