BERLIN, August 20. /TASS/. Ukraine’s attack on the Kursk Region is an extremely risky strategic move, aimed at diverting attention from the dire situation in Donbass, Markus Reisner, Austrian Armed Forces colonel, said in an interview for N-TV.
"The offensive in the Kursk Region is a highly risky play for Ukraine. Already low on resources, it now has to manage three fronts," the expert said. "If the impact of the invasion in the Kursk Region weakens, it will deplete valuable reserves, which are actually needed in Donbass, where Russia is advancing unimpeded. Then, the short-lived boost in [Ukrainian troops’] morale will go the other way," he said.
He confirmed that the aim of the attack on the Kursk Region is to divert attention from the catastrophic situation in Donbass.
"Quite so," he said, pointing out that Ukraine is in for an extremely difficult winter, because its energy infrastructure has taken heavy damage, and its military-industrial complex is severely weakened.
"The Russians continue to attack from five directions in Donbass," Reisner noted, adding that Russian troops have already broken through the first line of defense and are about to breach the second one. Meanwhile, the third line of defense is relatively weak.
"It is followed by a vast, open and flat territory. Ukraine should already have started building fortifications there, but it has neither the time nor the resources. This is why the Russians are seeking to rapidly advance from the second line of defense to the third," the colonel believes.
"In summary, despite the offensive in the Kursk Region, on the whole, Ukraine is in an unfavorable position," Reisner concluded.