Silicon Bites #93 - New Blow to Putin and Russian Army as Ukraine Advances in the Kursk Direction.

Edition No93 | 07-02-2025 - Ukraine has struck again in the Kursk direction, advancing up to 6km it is claimed. Russian reports described being struck ‘Like a Bolt from the Blue’, raising the question of preparedness of Russian troops and lack of effective monitoring of Ukrainian preparations. So far, the only information we have is from Russian Mil bloggers, and Z-patriots, so we need to be cautious about the details, as the Ukrainian side is observing tight operational silence. According to these sources, Ukrainian troops launched a surprise offensive in Kursk with 500 personnel and 50 armoured vehicles. It is alleged that gas pipelines were damaged and the strike comes as a blow to Russian control in the area, as well as to Putin image. ----------We ran two events in Ukraine in the last two weeks. Lviv (part 2) and Kyiv. The event we ran in August 2023 was a huge success, and had a great impact. Now our aim is even more ambitious. Two cities. Two events. Multiple panels consisting of the best experts, and all filmed in high definition for the channel.https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extrasBut it costs. Last time the overall cost was £3,500 for Live in Lviv, and we covered 80% of this through ticket sales. This time the costs are higher, and there's less opportunity to sell tickets at the available venues and studios, so I'm creating a campaign to raise £5,000 to make this trip a reality. We also have a much more ambitious programme to film interviews around Kyiv and Lviv for the channel. This project will have an impact, so please help if you can. https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras----------Kursk has become not just a significant meat grinder to sap Russia’s human resources, but a metal grinder, destroying huge amounts of Russian armour and kit. It is interesting to end this episode on some quotes and conclusions from the ISW report: - A small group of Ukrainian troops in Kursk Oblast have complicated the Russian military's efforts to advance in Ukraine over the last six months. - Roughly a division's worth of Ukrainian troops has undermined the Russian military's ability to launch or renew offensive operations in lower-priority areas of the frontline and to reinforce priority efforts with elite airborne (VDV) and naval infantry units. - The Ukrainian incursion in Kursk Oblast is a partial proof of concept of how limited Ukrainian battlefield activity that leverages vulnerabilities in Russia's warfighting capabilities and that integrates technological adaptations with mechanized manoeuvre can have theatre-wide impacts on operations. - It showed that surprise is still possible even on a partially transparent battlefield and that rapid manoeuvre is possible under the right conditions. The war in Ukraine, in other words, is not permanently stalemated. - Either side can potentially restore manoeuvre and begin to gain or regain significant territory. Russia will be able to do so if the West reduces or cuts off aid. Ukraine may be able to do so if Western support continues to empower Ukrainian innovation.----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain----------