US and Great Britain presented the positions of Russian army on the territory of Russia to Ukraine

The United States and Great Britain provided Ukraine with satellite images and intelligence about the Kursk region after the Ukrainian Armed Forces began their offensive in the region, The New York Times reported, citing American officials. As two sources explained to the publication, this information helped Ukrainian troops track the movement of Russian reinforcements that could attack the Ukrainian Armed Forces or cut off their possible retreat to Ukraine.

Some sources note that as Ukraine expands its control over western Russia, the risk of overloading the Ukrainian Armed Forces' logistics chains and air defense systems increases. The transfer of additional forces to the Kursk region weakens Kyiv's position along the front lines in eastern Ukraine, especially in the Donbas, where the Russian military is actively trying to advance.

Washington is not sure that Ukraine will hold the captured territories in the long term. This is evidenced by the lack of trenches, minefields and defensive barriers that could protect the Ukrainian Armed Forces from counterattacks, New York Times sources say. A Pentagon representative, in turn, noted that the lack of defensive fortifications does not mean that they will abandon the holding of these territories - Kyiv may be planning to strengthen its positions further on Russian territory in order to expand the buffer zone.

Officials stress that the Ukrainian offensive in the Kursk region was carefully planned, but its success exceeded expectations. Ukraine took advantage of Moscow's slow reaction and is now acting more flexibly, the sources said.