Masala: Kursk offensive could hurt Ukraine
Western experts are still puzzling over how to evaluate the Ukrainian soldiers' offensive in Russia. Political scientist Masala fears that Kiev may have a disadvantage in the long run. In any case, the attack is a "high-risk strategy".
Political scientist Carlo Masala from the University of the German Armed Forces in Munich has expressed doubts about Ukraine's decision to attack the Russian region of Kursk. "This is a high-risk strategy for Ukraine; we don't know how it will ultimately turn out," he told the German Press Agency (dpa). "It could also end up causing more harm to Ukraine than good in the long run."
While the Ukrainian army has shown that it can still take the military initiative, after gradually withdrawing from positions in the Donbass that the Russians subsequently took over, it is now demonstrating that it is still capable of offensive operations, Masala added.
However, if Ukraine wants to hold onto the territory it has just captured, for example to use it as a bargaining chip in negotiations for Russian-occupied territories in Ukraine, it would have to invest a lot of military resources. "These resources could be better used in the Donbass," said the political scientist. "Because the fronts there are now very unstable."
The fact that western weapons are apparently being used in the Kursk offensive is not a problem, he said. The US has apparently given the operation the green light, as indicated by the use of American HIMARS rocket launchers, whose target coordinates are always coordinated with the US. And the German government has not commented on the use of Marder infantry fighting vehicles, which suggests approval.
Despite the success of the Ukrainian offensive in Russia's Kursk region, Masala notes that other vehicles, such as German Marder infantry fighting vehicles, have been involved. He further emphasizes that if Ukraine aims to keep the captured territory for negotiations, it might strain their resources, particularly in the more volatile fronts of the Donbass.
