Ukraine attacks new target in Kursk to prevent Russia from regaining territory

In an effort to prevent Russia from sending forces to the front lines in Kursk to retake the territory, Ukraine has stepped up attacks on a vital highway there.

The image depicts a vehicle on fire on the E-38 road in Kursk, Russia (Photo: The War Zone).

The War Zone Citing field sources, Ukrainian forces have targeted a section of the E-38 highway in Kursk in recent days with first-person view drones (UAV FPV).

The source said the attacks are worrying Russian leaders because the E-38 is Moscow’s key logistical supply route to the front line.

On the E-38, the Rylsk Bridge has become a flashpoint. A picture has surfaced on social media showing a burning vehicle, which is believed to have been hit by an FPV UAV.

The E-38 runs east through Kursk from just across the Ukrainian border. It is the main logistical supply route for Russian forces, located more than 20km from the front line.

An adviser to acting Kursk Governor Alexei Smirnov recently raised concerns about these attacks.

“On the second day, the enemy attacked the Rylsk bridge with FPV UAVs,” Roman Alekhine wrote on Telegram, saying that both civilian and military targets were attacked.

Mr Alekhine called for increased protection of the bridge and urged people to evacuate the area.

“We have been talking about the fact that the enemy will soon begin attacking the Rylsk-Lgov highway for more than a week. And we recommended evacuation not only to save lives, but also to avoid interference with the military’s operations,” he said.

According to observers, the chance of Ukraine gaining control of the E-38 route is unlikely. However, with cheap UAVs, Ukraine can disrupt Russian logistics and supplies, preventing Moscow from launching a full-scale offensive to retake Kursk.

The E38 runs east to west from the city of Kursk to the Ukrainian border, serving as the main logistical line for any Russian counterattack to try to dislodge Ukrainian forces from Kursk (Photo: X).

Since last week, Ukraine has been attacking Russia’s vital supply lines. In mid-month, Kiev fired missiles at three fortified bridges over the Seym River in Russia’s Kursk region, in an attempt to isolate 800 square kilometers of the Kursk region southwest of the Seym River to prevent Russia from supplying the region on the other side of the river.

After Russia deployed engineers to build a temporary pontoon bridge, Ukraine continued to attack to prevent this effort.

Destroying the bridges is a key objective for Ukraine to deny Russia logistical support. Russia has no easy way to get troops and weapons into the isolated Kursk region, but Ukraine moves into the area overland from areas controlled by Kiev.

Ukraine has prepared surface-to-air missiles and Ukraine is trying to block Russian airspace over the isolated Kursk region. Russian helicopters will face challenges in carrying out supply missions with dangers lurking on the ground.

Disrupting Russian logistics was necessary as Ukraine began to face ammunition shortages as its forces were stretched to another front. Blocking Russian supplies would allow Ukraine to hold out in Kursk longer.