The operation resulted in the destruction of three Russian motorized rifle battalions and the capture of POWs, significantly weakening the invaders' position in the area, HUR says.
The Institute for the Study of War assesses that Moscow fears the onset of poor weather will lead to entrenched positional warfare, giving Ukraine time to fortify its positions. By committing significant resources to Kursk Oblast, Moscow risks exhausting operational reserves crucial for its ongoing offensive in Donetsk Oblast.
US officials report that Russia shifted several thousand troops from occupied Ukrainian territories to the Kursk Oblast, following a surprise Ukrainian incursion, but Russia primarily deploys untrained conscripts there rather than moving its more experienced units from Ukraine.
Russia's deployment of the 104th Guards Airborne Division in Kherson Oblast revealed in the UK Defense Ministry's intelligence update. Russia probably bolsters its military presence in the area in response to Ukrainian activities on the Dnipro's eastern bank.