Russia is still trying to formulate a reaction to the Ukrainian operation in the Kursk region, and so far this reaction has been slow and scattered. General Christopher Cavoli, the Supreme Allied Commander Europe, said this during a Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) event on August 15, UNN reports citing Voice of America.
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According to him, "Russia is still piecing together the reaction."
According to Cavoli, this reaction of Russia is due to several factors. Firstly, it is the lack of understanding of who should be responsible for the fighting inside Russia, and secondly, the lack of released troops that Russia can use against the operation in Kursk.
"So far, it has been a rather slow and scattered response. This is partly because Russia does not establish who has the authority. The Ministry of Defense is responsible for military operations inside Ukraine, but not inside Russia, right? So it should be the Ministry of the Interior," Kavoli analyzed.
"Secondly, Russia does not have free forces that it can move there. The level of involvement and the proportion of Russian ground forces in Ukraine is very significant," said the Supreme Allied Commander Europe.
Kavoli emphasized that the units that remained in Russia and could confront a similar problem are conscripts, who are theoretically and legally prohibited from fighting in Ukraine. Accordingly, these are not the combat units that can be expected to respond the fastest.
NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Europe emphasized that the Russian authorities have deployed a lot of air power to the Kursk region, but it is not known how many ground forces will be involved and what effect this will have.
"Some units came from the east of Ukraine to fight. Obviously, they will be given preference over units from other places. I think that Russia will have to make decisions on their part regarding the timing and availability of troops," Cavoli said.
Also, answering a question about the state of the Ukrainian army, Cavoli noted that despite the challenges faced by the Ukrainian armed forces, he was impressed by the innovations that Ukraine has demonstrated militarily, technically and tactically. At the same time, he emphasized the quick and firm response of the allies in supporting Ukraine's defense.