Russian President Vladimir Putin continues to exaggerate Russia’s successes in the Kursk region, probably to convince citizens of the ability of the Russian military to contain Ukrainian forces. Such conclusions did the American Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
On October 25, in an interview with the “Russia 1” channel, Putin said that Russian troops allegedly “blocked” about 2,000 Ukrainian servicemen in the Kursk region. According to the president of the Russian Federation, these units are allegedly surrounded and “don’t even realize it.” He also noted that Ukrainian commanders have lost control over their forces, despite the lack of official reports from the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation about such achievements.
ISW analysts point out that Putin ignores the reality of the situation in his statements: Ukrainian forces continue to operate in the Kursk region and maintain control over the border in this region. The commander of the Ground Forces of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Oleksandr Syrsky, rejected Putin’s words, stressing that the losses of Russian troops since August 8 amounted to 17,819 people, including 711 prisoners of war.
ISW notes that it cannot independently verify the accuracy of these figures, but agrees that the activity of Ukrainian forces in the Kursk region continues. Putin’s exaggerated claims about Russia’s successes are likely part of a strategy aimed at justifying Russia’s failures to contain Ukrainian operations and concealing actual losses on the front. This may also explain Russia’s willingness to seek military support from North Korea.
It will be recalled that, according to ISW, Putin sees the “weariness of the West with Ukraine” as a motive for the continuation of hostilities.
