Russian forces intensify effort in part of Kursk region controlled by Ukraine – ISW
Russian forces intensified their ongoing effort to dislodge Ukrainian forces from Kursk region around the evening of October 10 and have recently advanced further into the main Ukrainian salient in Kursk region while reportedly eliminating almost the entirety of the smaller Ukrainian salient in Glushkovsky district, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) has said.
"Intensified Russian counterattacks likely aim to push Ukrainian forces out of Kursk Oblast [region] before poor weather conditions in Fall 2024 and early Winter 2024-2025 begin to constrain battlefield maneuver," it said in the October 11 update on the situation at the front.
Also, ISW experts assess that the Russian military command likely aims to rapidly push Ukrainian forces out of Kursk region in order to free up combat power for its priority offensive operations in Donetsk region.
South Korean and Ukrainian officials reportedly continue to identify North Korean military personnel already fighting in Ukraine as well as training in Russia for possible future deployments alongside the Russian military.
"The extent of the North Korean force grouping that Russia could deploy to the frontline or that could free up Russian forces along the border is unclear, but these scenarios may also aid Russian efforts to commit additional manpower to priority offensive operations in Ukraine and prolong the culmination of the Russian Summer 2024 offensive operation," ISW said.