On October 10, a Ukrainian infantry unit of 30 soldiers still held, for a few hours, the village of Snagost, on the western flank of the incursion of kyiv forces towards Kursk, in Russian territory. Its leader, “Kolot” as he was known, was wounded by shrapnel, and managed to avoid the encirclement and retreat with his men towards Lyubimovka, 4 kilometers further east. This is where the new lateral front line of an attack launched by Ukraine at the beginning of August is set, even today, in the hope of changing the course of the war. “The Russians are moving slowly, but they are moving forward”states, this October 16, “Kolot”, 37 years old, cap screwed up to the ears, returned to the underground bunker of the second battalion of the 17e tank brigade, in the deserted Ukrainian border village of Younakivka.
At his side, the head of the battalion, known as “the Greek” – to salute his practice of Greco-Roman wrestling – is hardly more enthusiastic about the Ukrainian operation carried out on Russian territory. “During the maneuvers around Lyubimovka, the documents and materials abandoned by the Russians made us understand their level of intelligence on our forces and our movements”he says. He also deplores the lack of resources: “Where we put a section, they put a company; where we dig basic shelters, they build fortifications worthy of a battalion HQ. »
Three months after the surprise attack in the direction of Kursk, the officers, soldiers and civilians met by The World are mixed on the final impact of this strategic choice. “The Greek” makes no secret of this: “Only 56% of the objectives have been met, the Russians reacted quickly, they rely on reinforcements that we do not have and use their soldiers like cannon fodder. » This incursion into Russia raised the morale of the troops and changed the outlook of certain allies on the course of the war, but it did not reverse the trend on the military level.
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Against a backdrop of great weariness, even the strongest characters do not hide their hope of putting an end to the war. kyiv wanted to arrive at the negotiating table with a territorial gain to take Vladimir Putin at his own game. The Russian president advocates an agreement on the fixed lines of the front. But will he agree to discuss before having retaken the Kursk enclave, especially if he receives the help of thousands of North Korean soldiers, whose deployment in Russia was confirmed on October 23 by the United States and NATO?
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