Ukraine Reportedly Digging Trenches in Kursk – Here For the Long Haul?

Ukrainian troops were reportedly digging trenches to fortify their positions during its latest incursion into Russia’s Kursk region, substantiating earlier speculations that the incursion goes beyond a mere border raid.

While there has not been visual evidence of Ukrainian troops entrenching in the Kursk region, Russian military reporter Aleksandr Kharchenko claimed that it is happening in his Sunday update, adding that it’s “the worst thing that can happen” and a race against time, where successful Ukrainian entrenchments would complicate Russian efforts to repel Ukrainian troops.

“The worst thing that can happen is a transition to trench warfare in the Kursk region. Columns of armored vehicles stop appearing in the affected area. Ukrainians are increasingly attacking on foot. And for us this is an extremely bad sign.

“The enemy is beginning to gain a foothold in our ancestral territory. Yes, this is not a continuous defense in depth, but time is against us,” said Kharchenko, whose statement was translated by Estonian analyst War Translated.

Ukrainian military sources also reported that excavators, which could be used to dig trenches, were being deployed to the Kursk region, further fueling claims that Ukraine is now entrenching its positions in the Kursk region.

As noted by Forbes, if the reports were true, it’d mean that a long-term, partial Ukrainian occupation of Russia’s Kursk region is on the table.

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Kyiv has deployed thousands of troops to the surprise operation, seizing the battlefield initiative after months of slow Russian advances across the east.

Some commentators believe that holding the Kursk region could be a bargaining chip for Ukraine in future negotiations as the front lines inside Ukraine became largely static. Other voices say the Kursk incursion was a way to divert Russian troops from different fronts. Both could equally be true.

With no official comments from Kyiv regarding the motives and objectives of the Kursk incursion, everything remains speculative – though the circumstances around the incursion could shed light on the potential motives.

Trench warfare has been commonplace throughout Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, being utilized by both sides in the conflict. That said, the fact that Ukraine is potentially committing better-equipped brigades, such as the 80th Air Assault Brigade as reported earlier, could mean that Ukraine has a more long-term strategic goal for the latest incursions.

Oleh Dunda, a Ukrainian lawmaker, noted the possibility of the Kursk region being a bargaining chip for future negotiations in an exclusive Kyiv Post Op-Ed.

Forbes also reported that Russia’s 48,000-strong Northern Grouping of Forces in the area has been largely bogged down in Moscow’s Vovchansk offensive in Ukraine, where diverting those troops from operations inside Ukraine could be the latter’s goal all along.

That said, there’s always the possibility that the entrenchments were all an elaborate hoax by the Ukrainian side to force Russia to divert its troops, with Kyiv having no intentions of holding the trenches.

There were also unconfirmed reports that Ukrainian troops seized control of the Sudzha gas metering station in the Kursk region – the last Russian gas transit route to Europe through Ukraine. However, the significance of the move remains unclear.

While news of Ukrainian entrenchments in Russia’s Kursk region could change the course of the war, it’s too early to tell how the situation might develop from this point onwards.