Lithuania has observed a reallocation of Russian troops from the Kaliningrad region to Kursk, where the Ukrainian military has been advancing for over a week, according to Lithuanian Defense Minister Laurynas Kasčiūnas. Specific military units have purportedly been relocated from Russia's western enclave, Kasčiūnas told the Baltic news agency BNS.

“They need more resources, so they’re attempting to pull them from other regions,” Kasčiūnas stated, while refraining from providing additional details on the troop movements.

The Lithuanian Defense Minister had met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv the previous day. During the meeting, he reiterated the purported troop transfer from Kaliningrad to Kursk. In a video released by Kyiv, Kasčiūnas speaks of the "demilitarization" of Kaliningrad, attributing this shift to the "bravery of Ukrainian soldiers and decisions made by Ukrainian authorities.”

Kasčiūnas emphasized that the Ukrainian advance into Russian territory holds significant symbolic importance for Ukraine. "First of all, it is a moral boost, which is undoubtedly very important," he explained.

The Russian side has yet to confirm any redeployment of forces from Kaliningrad.

The Ukrainian operation in the Kursk region began on August 6, with combat ongoing in Korenevsky, Sudzhansky, and Belovsky districts. Acting Governor of Kursk region Alexey Smirnov acknowledged on August 12 that Ukrainian forces control 28 settlements in the region. The Ukrainian military claims to have seized control of 74 settlements and over 1,000 square kilometers of Russian territory.

Bloomberg reports a shortage of personnel within the Russian Armed Forces to defend the Kursk region and suggests that mobilization might be declared by the end of 2024. There have also been reports of conscripts being transferred from Murmansk to the Kursk region and of conscripts being pressured into signing contracts with the Ministry of Defense.

  War in Ukraine, Kursk, Kaliningrad

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