Expert: Russia needs 50,000-100,000 troops to halt Ukrainian advance in Kursk region
In a critical assessment, Ivan Tymochko, the head of the Council of Reservists of the Land Forces, emphasized that the situation in Russia's Kursk region would significantly depend on the local population's readiness to resist Ukrainian Armed Forces, however, there currently appears to be no such resistance.
Tymochko outlined in an interview with RBC-Ukraine that the Russian military would require between 50,000 to 100,000 troops to stop the Ukrainian advance in the Kursk region. He remarked, “To halt the Ukrainian Armed Forces in Kursk, Russia needs to deploy tens of thousands of soldiers. For a solid defense to be built and our forces to be stopped, they will need between 50,000 to 100,000 personnel from line brigades and units, not the mix they have now."
He further elaborated that before amassing such a force, the Russian military would need to set up logistics: positioning weapon storage, ensuring food supply, and transportation of fuel and ammunition. "Not to mention a concurrent Russian offensive to push our forces back—this is complex and will be very time-consuming," Tymochko added.
Additionally, he noted that the outcome would also hinge on the local populace’s stance and resistance willingness. "Currently, we see no inclination among the local population to resist the Ukrainian forces. This means Putin will have to rely solely on his military, forcing him to change his war strategy," Tymochko stressed.
On August 16, Ukrainian Defense Forces destroyed a bridge in the settlement of Glushkovo in the Kursk region.
On the same day, Ukrainian control extended to two more settlements in the Kursk region: Borki and Vnezapnoe.