Situation Report: Kursk

Was the Juice Worth the Squeeze?

Earlier this month the Ukrainian military evacuated forces from Kursk Oblast and began to redeploy formations previously stationed in the territory of the Russian Federation. The Ukrainian military currently maintains small holdings in Kursk along the international borders of Russia and Ukraine. However, the salient that once extended into Kursk Oblast and included the city of Sudzha no longer exists.

This development calls for a serious reflection on what was the purpose of the Kursk Offensive and whether this was an effective use of limited manpower and resources in the war. While calling the operation a “failure” or complete waste of time may be a step too far (and certainly seems to be the angle taken by pro-Russian sources), we should ask ourselves if this offensive managed to achieve some meaningful benefit to the strategic, operational, and tactical levels of Kyiv’s resistance to Russia’s invasion. To put it plainly, we should ask if the juice was worth the squeeze