1/ The Russian publication 'Interesting Stories' has published a lengthy interview with a former Russian army officer who opposed the invasion of Ukraine. He explains how the Ukrainians were able to invade the Kursk region so easily. Here are some extracts.
2/ The former officer comments that the Russian Volunteer Corps and Freedom of Russia Legion began mounting raids into the Kursk region in March 2024. This was done to observe "how quickly they respond to your arrival, how many forces are there, where, what, how."
3/ While the Ukrainians were gathering intelligence on the ground, the officer says, the Russians didn't react: "what changed on our side [on the border] in six months? Fucking nothing."
4/ And when all these raids on the Kursk direction started, the border guards only had light firearms, no heavy equipment, and the border was practically always open. But nothing changed in six months.
5/ Authorities allocated money to strengthen the border: ‘dragon’s teeth,’ trenches were supposedly dug — but mostly, the money, as usual, was fucked up [i.e. stolen]."
6/ Those on the border knew something was up, he says, but were brushed off by the general command. "As usual, all requests up the chain were met with: ‘We have everything under control; intelligence reports that nothing has been noticed.’"
7/ When the Ukrainians began their offensive, "they arrived in groups and just started pushing forward without securing positions. Just further and further — one swift push."
8/ "Because if they were to secure positions, it would give us more time and opportunities to bring in troops to stop them. So they just push forward as fast as possible, while ours are talking shit, arguing, showing up, and filming reports.
9/ "As they say in the army: ‘If you want to defeat Russia, declare war, and it will fuck itself up with inspections.’"
10/ The main Ukrainian force has been preceded by a screening force of long-range sabotage and reconnaissance groups (DRGs) which "go even further — and start digging in. And when the Russian troops finally show up, the DRGs start attacking them."
11/ "In this situation, our forces didn’t just respond late — they didn’t respond [properly] at all ... they surrender in whole packs, because, firstly, the conscripts don’t know how to fight, and secondly, they don’t have the weapons to repel such attacks."
12/ The former officer says that the Ukrainian offensive has been aided by catastrophically poor Russian command decisions, such as the sending of hundreds of troops in a convoy that was obliterated by HIMARS strikes at Rylsk on the night of 9 August.
13/ "At least on the front line, after some time and massive losses, they figured out that driving in a convoy is suicide. But those sitting here still drive in convoys and think they’re going to a parade.
14/ "The AFU has drones, has rockets — what kind of fucking idiot would lead a convoy in this case, and one that’s even being filmed for the news. That’s why the guys died, without even getting there."
15/ He doubts that the Ukrainians will go much further into Russia, as the line of the breakthrough is small and there is a significant risk of encirclement. "As soon as our forces start doing something right and pull in reserves, they can block the [AFU] approaches from Ukraine.
16/ "The Russian army will encircle them, stop the flow of resources, then just tighten the ring and destroy them all."
As for the local civilians, the former officer believes they will be written off by the Russian authorities.
17/ "Since this is Russia, we won’t give a fuck about the civilians left there. It’s already clear that the locals have been abandoned to fend for themselves — people there are on their own.
18/ "They’ll level everything with artillery and aviation: after all, what is Kursk Oblast compared to Russia?”
AFU has taken Martynovka, Kruglik, Myrnyi (now completely) and Bondarevka and have indeed reached the outskirts of Bol'shoe Soldatskoe.
