August 2024.
As part of the program Regional Initiative to Combat Disinformation “Western Balkans Anti-Disinformation Hub: Exposing Malign Influences through Watchdog Journalism”, we present you a new monthly analyses of fake news and disinformation narratives.
Jeffrey Sachs: The failed operation in Kursk is carried out by NATO
https://lat.rt.rs/svet/104607-ukrajina-kurska-oblast-rusija-amerika/
On August 6, Ukrainian troops launched a surprise attack in Russia’s Kursk region, which borders Ukraine. While Russian troops were primarily stationed along the main front line in southeastern Ukraine, Ukraine took advantage of the relatively empty space in the east and made a breakthrough into the Kursk region. “We sent our most combat-ready units to the weakest points on their border,” said one Ukrainian commander in a statement to The Economist, as reported by the BBC.
The question arises regarding the goals of this operation and whether it could turn the tide of the war, which, in the long run, seems unlikely. A few days after the operation began in Kursk, the President of Ukraine stated that “about 1,000 square kilometers of Russian territory is now under Kyiv’s control.” It remains unclear how Ukraine managed to enter into Russia so easily; however, many analysts believe this was a risk Ukraine had to take, with the element of surprise being a key factor in the success of this military operation. Emil Kastehelmi, an expert in military history at the Black Bird Group, claims that this is “the largest offensive on Russian soil since World War II.”
On the other hand, Russian media are attempting to downplay the success of this Ukrainian operation. News on pro-Russian portals primarily focuses on the success of Russian operations in Donbas and perpetuates disinformation suggesting that the Ukrainian offensive is actually a NATO operation against Russia, further promoting narratives about a possible nuclear conflict between NATO and Russia to intimidate citizens.
American economist Jeffrey Sachs, speaking to Russia Today (RT), claims that “the failed operation of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Kursk region is actually being carried out by the North Atlantic Alliance,” and that nothing occurs in Kyiv without the approval or direction of the United States. The narrative about the influence of Western powers has been prevalent since the beginning of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict and intensifies whenever Ukraine achieves any success on the front, as is currently the case with the Kursk offensive.
Military expert Vladislav Shurigin states that “it is clear that the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff is behind this strategy.” He believes that “the attack by the Armed Forces of Ukraine on the Kursk region is just one element of NATO’s plan to shift military operations to Russian territory in order to compel the Kremlin to sign a ceasefire agreement in the fall under unfavorable conditions for the Russian Federation,” reports Srbin.info.
In recent years, the war has acquired a new military dimension, as conflicts are also being fought in cyberspace. Although Russia reacted with a counter-offensive in the Kursk region, the response was slow, attributed to the capabilities of the Russian military intelligence service. Taking this Russian intelligence failure into account, the Ukrainian offensive can be regarded as successful, at least in terms of information warfare. Kastehelmi adds that this could reassure Ukraine’s allies that Ukraine is still capable of offensive actions, which was likely the main goal of this operation. In any case, this offensive is highly significant, as it has restored hope and raised morale among the citizens of Ukraine. Furthermore, this move demonstrates to Western allies that Ukraine is strategically prepared for further action, which “at least temporarily strengthened Kyiv’s negotiating position.”
Al Jazeera reports that the primary goals Ukraine aims to achieve with this offensive are to “break Russian forces and reduce their pressure on Ukrainian troops on the front lines,” thereby strengthening Ukraine’s position. Additionally, they plan to move the war onto Russian territory to destabilize President Vladimir Putin’s regime and allow Russians to experience the consequences of the war they initiated against Ukraine, thereby increasing pressure on Moscow to concede in future negotiations. However, despite these observations, it remains uncertain whether the Ukrainians will be able to sustain the offensive and for how long.
Author: Nataša Stanojević