Russia’s Steady Advance in DPR Indicates Weakness of Kiev’s Strategy — WaPo

The report said that Russia enjoys a significant superiority over the Ukrainian troops both in man-and firepower

© Alexey Konovalov/TASS

WASHINGTON, August 20. /TASS/. The advance of Russian troops in DPR indicates potential miscalculations in the Kiev’s strategy in the Kursk Region, The Washington Post said.

The newspaper notes, citing experts, that "Russia’s steady advance points to a possible weakness in Kyiv’s strategy," adding that Ukraine’s "hopes to limit Russian gains in the east so far are not being realized."

"There’s some evidence that the Russians are actually engaging the last proper defensive line outside of the town outside of Pokrovsk [the Ukrainian name for the city of Krasnoarmeysk - TASS]," said Franz-Stefan Gady, a Vienna-based military analyst with the Center for a New American Security.

The newspaper pointed out that, according to its information, Russia enjoys a significant superiority over the Ukrainian troops both in man-and firepower.

"The larger question is, what kind of reserves are now no longer available" in Pokrovsk that would have otherwise been available had there not been an operation in Kursk, Gady told The Washington Post.

The major Ukrainian attack on the Kursk Region started on August 6. A federal state of emergency has been declared in the region; missile alerts have been declared repeatedly. According to the Ministry of Emergency Situations, over 121,000 people have been relocated from nine border districts of the Kursk Region. Temporary accommodation facilities for the internally displaced have been established in 24 regions. About 10,000 people are currently accommodated there.

According to the Russian Defense Ministry, Kiev has lost up to 3,800 servicemen and 54 tanks since the beginning of hostilities in Kursk. The operation to defeat Ukrainian troops continues.