Today, the biggest news comes from the Kursk direction of Russia.
In the face of intensifying Russian counterattacks Russian forces increased their efforts by launching large-scale pincer maneuvers to encircle, and eliminate, Ukrainian positions that were cut off.
In a swift, calculated response, Ukrainian forces launched devastating strikes with drones on Russian units advancing and deployed elite marines as cover, setting up the decisive battle.
Russian operations in the lead and Ukrainian withdrawals
As you may know, in their counteroffensive the Russians launched a spearhead assault along the hardened roads between Korenevo-Sudzha. The Ukrainians then retreated from several positions on the outside to avoid being completely encircled. Russians launched armored assaults on the highway, however, in an attempt to consolidate their gains. They also wanted to maintain control of the vital supply line. There were no other roads into the Ukrainian-controlled Olgovka. This left Ukrainian soldiers in a precarious situation and cut off from reinforcements and supplies. The Ukrainian soldiers were also at risk of Russian attacks from all directions, as Russians controlled the hardened roads leading to the settlement.
Ukrainian commanders ordered an immediate withdrawal of their troops from Olgovka, as they continue to prioritize their men’s survival, maintaining a mentality that they will live to fight another day.
The Russian spearhead also reached an important intersection, between Novoivanovka & Lyubimovka.
The Ukrainian soldiers defending Lyubimovka also lost access to their main supply route. The Russians were aware of this and decided to take advantage. Russian soldiers in Lyubimovka began actively attacking Ukrainian positions to increase pressure. As you may know, Ukrainians launched a frontal attack on Novoivanovka after reclaiming the majority of the settlement.
Russians continue to launch armored attacks over the highway leading to Sudzha. This prevents Ukrainians from regaining control of the intersection and ground lines to communicate with the soldiers trapped in Lyubimovka.
Challenges posed by Russian attacks and Ukrainian drone tactics
Russians also moved several armored cars from the west and tried to deploy groups infantry to pin Ukrainians down in the settlement in order to prevent them from escaping. Ukrainians used a new technology to combat Russian electronic warfare equipment and bad weather that made it difficult for Ukrainian drone pilots to hit their targets. Ukrainians had programmed FPV kamikazes with target recognition software. This meant that the drone operator needed only to fly, lock on to a specific target, and then the drone would autonomously fly on and hit the target.
This avoids Russian electronic warfare systems that only work if the drone operator is disconnected from the drone. The autonomous FPV robot does not require this.
While not all Ukrainian FPV Drones are equipped with this technology yet, Ukrainians were able to destroy a number of Russian vehicles as well as infantry that tried to enter the settlement. In their rush to report on their successful capture and the high Ukrainian losses, Russian television channels accidentally showed a destroyed Russian vehicle column, thinking that they were Ukrainian. The Russian drone operator mistakenly identified Russian vehicles as American Bradleys, Abrams and MRAP armored cars, and proudly displayed their burning remains. The video was deleted, as expected, but not before Ukrainians picked it up.
The Russians were able to deploy a good amount of infantry into the settlement despite the bad weather and dense fog.
Ukrainian marines covering retreat under fire
These Russian infantry units quickly resumed their assaults on the Ukrainian units stuck in Lyubimovka. The Ukrainians were utterly outnumbered. A Ukrainian officer in Kursk stated that they were five to one outnumbered in terms of manpower. In these conditions, Ukrainians were forced to retreat to more defensive positions in settlements and behind rivers.
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