Forbes: Russian tanks fall victim to own defenses in failed Kursk counterattack

Targeting the Ukrainian-held village of Plekhovo in Russia’s Kursk Oblast, powerful Russian force, believed to be from the 15th “Pyatnashka” Brigade, launched their offensive on or just before 29 September, only to find themselves trapped in their own defensive structures, Forbes reports.

Ukraine started its incursion into Kursk Oblast in early August and captured more than 1,000 square kilometers, to protect Ukrainian border communities from Russian shelling and draw Russian troops from other fronts. In recent weeks, the Russians started a counterattack, while Ukraine continued attacking. As of yesterday, both Ukrainian and Russian forces continued assaults in the area but did not make any confirmed advances, according to ISW.

According to Ukrainian war correspondent Yurii Butusov, the Russian column became stuck in anti-tank traps – a trench and a line of concrete obstacles – that Russian forces had constructed prior to the Ukrainian invasion of Kursk in early August. The attacking forces were struggling to navigate these obstacles when the Ukrainian 129th Territorial Defense Brigade seized the opportunity to launch a wave of explosive drones, “burning dozens of armored vehicles,” according to Butusov.

the main issue Russia has here is that their own fortification belt was very well built, with 360 defense in mind.
from the footage, it looks like they got delayed in the tank ditch area and never got near the two main strongholds in this area pic.twitter.com/tsiITTtaNG

— imi (m) (@moklasen) September 29, 2024

The defensive structures that hindered the Russian assault could have posed a significant challenge to the initial Ukrainian invasion. However, the Russian forces in Kursk were caught off guard by the surprise Ukrainian incursion on 6 August. They were unable to effectively utilize their substantial firepower, including nearly 200 artillery pieces, before the fast-moving Ukrainian mechanized troops overwhelmed their positions, Forbes says.

Following the Ukrainian takeover, the anti-tank traps and circular infantry trenches became valuable assets for the new occupants. Unlike their predecessors, the 129th Territorial Defense Brigade fully anticipated a counterattack and was prepared to leverage the well-constructed defenses to their advantage.

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