Frontline report: Two Ukrainian HIMARS strikes cripple Russian reinforcements rushed to Kursk front

Today, there is interesting news from the Kursk direction, Russia. 

Here, after the unsuccessful introduction of North Korean troops in the battles for Kursk Oblast, the Russian command was forced to try to save the situation by mass redeployment of more experienced troops from Donbas. However, Ukrainian forces followed this development closely and acted on time by unleashing deadly HIMARS strikes to destroy Russian force concentrations.

The Russian military intensified its efforts in the region to finally drive Ukrainian forces back onto their territory after months of unsuccessful attempts, thousands of dead soldiers, and hundreds of destroyed armored vehicles. 

Stakes for this operation get higher with each month Ukraine keeps its presence on Russian soil as Moscow strives to deliver a successful counteroffensive operation to not only restore territorial control but also to bolster its narrative of strength.

This operation is vital for the Kremlin for two primary reasons. First, Russian society’s growing doubts about the effectiveness of the military campaign pose a significant internal challenge. President Vladimir Putin and senior military leaders had repeatedly claimed that the Ukrainian presence in Kursk was temporary and would soon be eradicated. Months later, Ukrainians remained entrenched, undermining public confidence in Russia’s military capabilities. 

Second, Russia aims to reclaim Kursk Oblast in its entirety before the twentieth of January, when Donald Trump is expected to take office as US President. Moscow fears that Ukraine’s continued presence on Russian soil would weaken its bargaining position in potential peace negotiations Trump has signaled he will prioritize.

To achieve their objectives in Kursk, Russia deployed North Korean personnel who received almost no training from already depleted Russian units. Lacking proper preparation and experience in modern warfare, these forces achieved minimal gains, securing only isolated tree lines and failing to breach Ukrainian main defense lines. 

This failure forced the Kremlin to divert better-trained troops from other critical fronts, particularly Donbas, to bolster the Kursk offensive. Key reinforcements included elements of the 34th Motorized Rifle Brigade, previously active near Donetsk, along with other relatively well-prepared units.

Armored vehicles, absent for weeks after significant losses, were reintroduced to support infantry assaults, alongside increased supplies of ammunition and resources to maintain high-intensity operations. 

This forced redeployment undermines Russia’s broader strategy, slowing advances in critical areas like Pokrovsk and Kurakhove. For Ukraine, this diversion of Russian forces marks another successful outcome of their incursion, further straining Moscow’s overstretched campaign.

While Russia’s reinforcements temporarily increased pressure on Kursk, they also provided Ukrainian intelligence with critical opportunities to exploit. Ukrainian reconnaissance units, utilizing a combination of satellite imagery, intercepted communications, and drone surveillance, tracked the surge in troop and supply movements. 

Such large-scale redeployments generate detectable patterns—convoys on roads, increased activity at staging areas, and communication spikes—all of which help pinpoint key Russian positions. This intelligence enabled Ukraine to execute prevention strikes, effectively neutralizing the reinforcements before they could achieve operational goals.

The target of the first Ukrainian HIMARS strike became the command post of the 810th Naval Infantry Brigade in Lgov, Kursk Oblast. It was brought in to compensate for the destructed 155th Brigade that was obliterated earlier in the region. 

810th Brigade was also supposed to train and integrate North Korean forces, but the Ukrainian strike killed the brigade’s deputy commander and at least a dozen other staff officers, severely disrupting Russian operational coherence.

Another HIMARS strikes targeted Russian troop concentrations in Rylsk, including a residential area and public buildings housing soldiers, delivering another blow to Russian morale and logistics. Several geolocated videos published by Russian survivors after the attack show not only the devastating level of destruction caused by these precision missiles but also their panic. 

By targeting command staff and regular soldiers Ukraine aims to deal as much damage as possible to the Russian forces before they even reach the frontline.

Overall, despite amplifying their operation with North Koreans, the Russian counteroffensive in Kursk has stalled. Ukrainian defenses remain intact, and Russian operational objectives appear increasingly unattainable. The redeployment of forces from Donbas, coupled with the failure to secure significant gains, highlights the strategic failure of the Russian military command. The failed counteroffensive in Kursk demonstrates Ukraine’s ability to achieve its strategic goals – to force the Russians to redeploy troops from Donbas, do disperse the enemy’s focus and efforts, and to undermine their theater-wide offensive.

In our regular frontline report, we pair up with the military blogger Reporting from Ukraine to keep you informed about what is happening on the battlefield in the Russo-Ukrainian war.