German general says he "fully understands" why Ukraine started advancing in Kursk Oblast

German Major General Christian Freuding, head of the Bundeswehr's Situation Center Ukraine at the German Ministry of Defence, has praised the decision of Ukrainian forces to launch an offensive on the Russian border.

Source: European Pravda with reference to DPA

Details: Freuding said after a several-day visit to Ukraine that he "fully understands" the decision of the Ukrainians to launch an offensive on Russia’s Kursk Oblast.

Quote: "Wherever a military leader has the opportunity to take the initiative, he should use it. According to my impressions and conversations, the Ukrainians are well aware of the risk they are taking, but if this operation is successful, there could be a significant impetus," he added.

The Bundeswehr major general said that Ukraine has deployed four brigades (4,000 to 6,000 troops) for the offensive, with 2,000 to 4,000 soldiers supporting them from Ukrainian territory through logistics and air defence.

Quote: "The depth of the occupied territory is about 30 kilometres, and the width is about 65 kilometres. We estimate the total area where Ukrainian forces are operating - not controlling but operating - at about 1,000 square kilometres. This is interesting because it is approximately the territory that Ukrainian forces have lost to Russian forces since the beginning of the year," Freuding said.

He added that Russia has tried to counter the Ukrainian attack with infantry, armoured vehicles and special forces, as well as massive artillery shelling and airstrikes, "but it has not been successful so far".

The general estimates that Ukraine has captured "a large three-digit, if not four-digit, number of prisoners of war" of the Russians.

Freuding says that the goals of the operation in Kursk may include easing Russian pressure on the front lines in Ukraine, a psychological effect "if the war is moved deeper into Russia", and the possible use of the captured territory for negotiations.

Background: 

• US President Joe Biden, in his first comments on Ukraine's offensive in Kursk Oblast, called the operation a "real dilemma" for Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin.
• After speaking with Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba about Ukraine's offensive in Kursk Oblast, EU diplomat Josep Borrell said that the EU fully supports the struggle of the Ukrainian people.

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