Kursk campaign could change the trajectory of the war, - ISW
Date: 2024-08-13 Author: Кирило Загоруйко Categories: WAR
Ukraine's Kursk campaign is a key moment in the war with Russia, which is capable of changing its trajectory.
This is reported by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) in the analysis "Ukraine and the Problem of Restoring Maneuver in Modern Warfare". As analysts note, the war is changing its character, and this will affect all future conflicts in the world.
During the invasion of the Kursk region, Ukraine achieved operational surprise by exploiting Russia's lack of preparedness in its border areas. This campaign showed that surprise is still possible even in modern conditions, when the enemy can observe the preparation and concentration of forces, but cannot reliably recognize the intent.
ISW believes that Ukraine can benefit from the fact that Russian troops have been attacking for months along almost the entire front line, rather than building large fortifications in the rear. Analysts noted that Ukraine can restore operational maneuver by planning and conducting a series of smaller, successive counteroffensive operations rather than launching a single decisive strike.
In addition, ISW noted that the war in Ukraine provides important lessons that the United States and its allies should learn. This conflict was the first major war to witness several technological phenomena that will undoubtedly characterize future warfare. In particular, the researchers highlight the work of air defense against massive and regular missile and drone strikes, the massive use of drones of various types, including naval ones - to destroy key surface targets in the port and at sea.
Analysts note that experiments on the battlefield are important, as was the case in the Kursk region.
"This approach contrasts with the danger of getting stuck in defense and emphasizes the need for constant adaptation in the conditions of modern warfare," the report says.
