Victory Chronicles-DAY 940

According to documents recovered from abandoned Russian positions in the Kursk region, the Russian military had been anticipating Ukraine’s invasion and had plans to prevent it for months. 

The revelation highlights the disarray among Russian troops after Ukraine’s attack in early August. The documents also show Russian concerns about morale in the ranks in Kursk, heightened by a soldier’s suicide at the front. Soldiers were instructed to consume Russian state media daily to maintain their psychological state. The authenticity of the documents has not been independently verified, but they appear to be genuine Russian army communication. 

The documents, obtained by Ukrainian special forces, include printed orders and handwritten journals from late 2023 to just six weeks before Ukraine launched its invasion. While Ukraine’s invasion of Kursk surprised many, the Russian military documents had warned of a possible invasion and an attempt to capture the town of Sudzha. They indicated that Ukrainian armed forces could potentially breakthrough the state border and create a corridor before the arrival of the main units of the Ukrainian military.

Recent details about the Kursk operation highlight weaknesses in the Russian military and showcase the effectiveness of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in securing favorable results, even when their strategies are fully exposed to the enemy. The success of the Ukrainian forces wasn’t just luck; it stemmed from the inability of the Russians to leverage their knowledge effectively. This information emphasizes the strengths of the Ukrainian military and demonstrates the superiority of their strategic planning.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has announced that about 40,000 Russian troops have been redeployed to the Kursk front. Zelenskyy made this announcement during an address, expressing gratitude to the combat brigades and soldiers involved in ongoing operations. He also mentioned that meetings with military leaders have taken place to discuss negotiations with partners, particularly regarding the Donetsk region. Zelenskyy stated that the Ukrainian defense forces have successfully reduced the offensive potential of the occupiers in Donetsk, but emphasized that the situation remains extremely difficult with fierce fighting occurring daily on the Kurakhove and Pokrovsk fronts.

A large-scale forest fire in the Vysokobirsk forestry near Balakliya, Izyum district in the Kharkiv region is being extinguished for the second day. The fire has already burned over 700 hectares, but no casualties have been reported and no immediate threat to settlements. The firefighting efforts are complicated by dense forest mines and gusty winds, which are aiding the rapid spread of the fire. Currently, 85 rescuers, 3 pyrotechnic crews of the State Emergency Service, and 24 equipment units, including a fire train, are fighting the fire. Remembering the significance of adhering to fire safety rules in natural ecosystems and during household work to prevent such incidents is important. Even a small fire can quickly escalate into a large-scale fire, posing a risk to human life and health.

The Special Forces of the State Border Guard Service, in collaboration with units of the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine, protect civilian shipping in the Black Sea. Their primary objective is to prevent enemy aircraft and warships from approaching the Ukrainian coast. Zmiinyi Island is highlighted as a significant outpost in the Black Sea. 

Mobilization in Russia remains unlikely in the near to medium term due to Putin’s personal fear that mobilization is a direct threat to his regime’s stability. 

ISW observed reports speculating about the possibility of Russia declaring another mobilization wave prior to Putin’s inauguration and following the Ukrainian incursion into Kursk Oblast in August 2024, but Putin has not yet authorized such mobilization. 

Russian opposition outlet Meduza reported that sources close to the Russian government claimed that the Kremlin entertained the idea of mobilization immediately after Ukraine’s incursion, but that the Russian Cabinet of Ministers and Kremlin-affiliated businessmen opposed these considerations.

Putin has also been consistently signaling throughout the incursion his commitment to recruiting volunteers by boasting about the number of volunteers interested in fighting in Ukraine and meeting with Russian volunteers in response to the incursion.

Putin notably did not seize on the incursion as an opportunity to condition Russian society for mobilization in the immediate to medium term, instead choosing to form new irregular formations and expand Russian volunteer recruitment efforts.The Kremlin and the Russian MoD notably shocked Russian society with the declaration of partial mobilization in late September 2022, and Putin likely seeks to avoid societal backlash in response to a new mobilization wave at this time.

Fighter Leonid Stratii was killed in the Donetsk region on February 21, 2024. During a combat mission, he received multiple injuries. 

Leonid was 28 years old. He was born in the village of Rozvazh, Rivne region. He graduated from a higher vocational school in Ostroh. He was a bricklayer by profession. In civilian life, he worked at a construction site in Kyiv and in the Ostroh community.

In May 2023, he came to the defense of Ukraine. He held the position of sapper in the 53rd separate mechanized brigade named after Prince Volodymyr Monomakh. In October of the same year, he was wounded near Avdiivka, Donetsk region. After two months of rehabilitation, he returned to the front. 

“He was the best dad and a loving husband. He never said that it was difficult for him the entire time he was fighting. He always repeated: “My dear, everything will be fine, we have a son and I don’t want him to be in my place someday.” Even during his rehabilitation after being wounded, he never lost his smile. We have someone to be proud of, but it’s hard to believe that he is gone,” wrote his wife Olena Stratiy. 

The fighter was buried at the local cemetery in Rozvazh village. Leonid is survived by his mother, wife and son.

*Leonid’s story on the Heroes Memorial – a platform for stories about the fallen defenders of Ukraine.

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