US and UK intelligence officials comment on Ukraine’s Kursk offensive and its effect on Russian elites

Sing reads: 100 km to Kursk. Stock photo: AFP via Getty Images

Ukraine’s Kursk offensive has triggered “questions” among the Russian elite about what the point of the war is, said CIA director Bill Burns and MI6 chief Richard Moore.

Source: The Financial Times

Details: Burns said Kursk was “a significant tactical achievement” that had boosted Ukrainian morale and exposed Russia’s weaknesses.

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It has “raised questions […] across the Russian elite about where is this all headed,” Burns said.

Moore said the Kursk offensive was “a typically audacious and bold move by the Ukrainians […] to try and change the game.”

Background:

• On 4 September, Estonian Defence Minister Hanno Pevkur said he believed that Ukraine’s operation in Kursk Oblast could enhance its position in future negotiations with Russia.
• On 5 September, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that Ukraine has achieved “a lot” during its offensive operation in Russia’s Kursk Oblast.

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