2024 Kursk Offensive

On 6 August 2024, during the Russian invasion of Ukraine as part of the Russo-Ukrainian War, the Armed Forces of Ukraine launched an incursion into Russia's Kursk Oblast and clashed with the Russian Armed Forces and Russian border guard. According to Russia, at least 1,000 troops crossed the border on the first day, supported by tanks and armored vehicles. A state of emergency was declared in Kursk Oblast, and Russian reserves were rushed to the area. On 10 August, Russian authorities introduced a "counter-terrorist operation" regime in Kursk, Belgorod and Bryansk oblasts. By the end of the first week, the Ukrainian military said it had captured of Russian territory, while Russian authorities acknowledged that Ukraine had captured 28 settlements. Ukraine established a military administration for the territory under its control on 15 August 2024.

Ukrainian officials have said the goals of the operation include inflicting damage on Russia's military, capturing Russian troops, pushing Russian artillery further out of range, hindering Russian supply lines and diverting their forces from other fronts. It also aims to put pressure on the Russian government and force it into "fair" peace negotiations. By the end of August, the operation began to be criticized for diverting Ukrainian forces from the east, stretching Ukraine's personnel along the front and allowing Russia to advance toward Pokrovsk. The city, alongside Kurakhove, was singled out by Ukrainian military commander Oleksandr Syrskyi as one direction from which the offensive had intended to divert Russian forces. The BBC noted that this goal seems to have failed, as Russian forces were instead bolstered on the Pokrovsk frontline. The Institute for the Study of War reported that Russia moved forces from "lower-priority" areas (Kharkiv, Luhansk, Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, and Kaliningrad), but not from Donetsk Oblast. Additional criticisms also came from some of Ukraine's top military leaders including Valery Zaluzhny and Emil Ishkulov, according to Politico.

Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine began in 2022, there had been several smaller incursions into Russia by pro-Ukrainian forces. Ukraine had supported these ground incursions, but denied direct involvement. The Kursk offensive surprised both Russia and Ukraine's allies. It is the most significant attack across the border since the 2022 invasion, and the first carried out primarily by Ukrainian regular forces.

Background

Russia's military chief Valery Gerasimov reportedly ignored intelligence warnings that Ukrainian troops were massing near the Russia–Ukraine border. Bloomberg reported that Russian intelligence had warned of a possible invasion of the Kursk region two weeks in advance. According to Bloomberg, citing "a person close to the Kremlin", Putin was not informed of the threat.

All legal national borders of Russia are controlled by the FSB Border Guard under the command of FSB director Alexander Bortnikov. Most of the men guarding the border in Kursk Oblast were young, inexperienced conscripts, lightly equipped army infantry units, and the National Guard (Rosgvardiya). Some of the conscripts were unarmed.

Preparations

In an interview on 13 October 2024, Pavlo Rozlach, the commander of the Ukrainian 80th Air Assault Brigade, said that the unit had begun infiltrating into Kursk Oblast on 4 August with the help of the Special Operations Forces. Groups of six soldiers were deployed and were hidden in forests in preparation for the main assault on 6 August.

Timeline

Ukrainian offensive

6 August

On 6 August 2024, Russia reportedly deployed air and artillery forces to counter a Ukrainian border incursion in Kursk Oblast. Ukrainian fighters, equipped with tanks and armored vehicles, crossed into Russian territory. The Russian Ministry of Defense responded by sending troops and aviation units to the area. According to Russia, the incursion involved around 300 Ukrainian troops, 11 tanks, and over 20 armored combat vehicles, and was aimed in two directions: at Oleshnya in the direction of Sudzha, east-northeast of Sumy, and towards Nikolayevo-Darino, north-northeast of Sumy. It was reported that Chechen Akhmat battalions were responding to the raids.

The attack began at 08:00 MSK. A statement by Russian forces on Telegram at around 18:20, claiming that they had pushed the Ukrainians back across the border, and inflicted significant losses through artillery, air strikes, and drones, was later edited by them to imply fighting was ongoing. Moscow released videos purportedly showing Ukrainian tanks being targeted from the air. Social media footage suggested Russian warplanes operated at low altitudes over Kursk Oblast to repel the attack. Alexei Smirnov, acting governor of Kursk Oblast, reported that three people died during the events: a woman in the border incursion and two individuals in separate drone attacks. Russian milbloggers also largely dismissed the supposed raids as "unsuccessful" and a "media stunt".

Russian milbloggers claimed that the offensive was being performed by the Russian Volunteer Corps (RVC), while the ''New Voice of Ukraine'' citing a source in Ukraine's Main Military Intelligence reported that the RVC was not present. The RVC's ally, the Freedom of Russia Legion, which accompanied the RVC in a raid earlier in the year refused to comment if they were participating.

7 August

Russian forces continued attempts to push back Ukrainian forces from Kursk Oblast. A milblogger claimed that Ukrainian forces had captured 11 settlements and had advanced deep into the oblast. Government agencies were ordered by President Vladimir Putin to "provide the needed assistance to residents", and deputy prime minister Denis Manturov was sent to oversee their work. Kursk Oblast was placed under a state of emergency by governor Smirnov. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova protested about "the criminal Kiev regime" and said that "all this only reinforces the sense of impunity of Ukrainian neo-Nazis." Putin met with key members of the security establishment including Valery Gerasimov, Alexander Bortnikov, Sergei Shoigu and Andrey Belousov