The Russian military has been struggling to contain Ukraine’s incursion into the Kursk region due to its complicated command and control structure, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) has claimed.
The DC-based think tank said in a recent report that Moscow’s response to the Ukrainian offensive inside its territory was being hampered by overlapping command structures, which are causing “friction” and “confusion” among its forces.
For example, Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov appointed his deputy minister Yunus-Bek Yevkurov deputy of a coordinating council tasked with organizing the military response to the incursion in Kursk, Belgorod, and Bryansk.
Belousov also tasked five people to address specific issues related to the incursion, such as logistics, military-technical support, civilian evacuations, and medical support.
Additionally, Russia created three groups of forces to protect civilians from drone strikes and other attacks in those regions.
According to the ISW, this redundant structure will likely create additional confusion within the Russian defense ministry as it battles advancing Ukrainian forces.
“ISW continues to assess that complex and overlapping responsibilities and the seemingly ever-growing list of actors the Kremlin has tasked with responding to the Ukrainian incursion [that impedes] Russia’s ability to establish effective joint command-and-control structures,” the report noted.
‘Russia Plans to Respond’
Speaking during an event in Kyiv on August 21, Ukraine military chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said his forces had successfully advanced more than 28 kilometers (17.4 miles) into Russia’s Kursk region.
They also reportedly captured 1,263 square kilometers (488 square miles) of Russian territory and 93 settlements.
But despite Moscow’s seemingly dysfunctional military command, Ukraine’s military intelligence agency (GRU) said the invading forces certainly have a plan in place for an all-out response.
“The operation is ongoing. Russia is planning a response. There are plans, we know about them. Our government and military leadership know about them so they can continue [the operation] and disrupt the [Russian] plans,” GRU deputy head Vadym Skibitsky said.
