Russian Military Transfers Units from Kaliningrad and Kherson to Kursk

Russia is pulling some of its troops out of Ukraine in response to a Ukrainian offensive in the Kursk region. The Wall Street Journal, citing American officials, reports that this move shows that the Ukrainian forces' actions in Kursk have forced Russia to regroup its troops.

U.S. officials are still trying to figure out the significance of Russia's move and haven’t confirmed how many troops are being transferred from Ukraine to Kursk. This supports statements from Ukrainian officials that their surprise operation in Kursk has diverted Russian troops away from Ukraine.

Politico Europe also reported, citing an official in Kiev, that a "relatively small" number of Russian troops had been withdrawn to respond to the incursion into Kursk. However, U.S. officials are still unsure of the exact number of troops Russia is pulling out of Ukraine.

In addition to the movement of troops from Ukraine, Lithuania's National Defense Minister, Laurynas Kasciunas, mentioned that Russia has started the "demilitarization" of Kaliningrad. He also noted that Lithuania is pushing Western countries to allow the use of long-range weapons on Russian territory.

Earlier, Ukrainian military sources reported that Russia had withdrawn some troops from the occupied regions of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson due to the fighting in Kursk. Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrsky informed President Zelensky that 74 settlements in the Kursk region are now under Ukrainian control.