Russian general ignored Intel on Ukrainian troops before Kursk invasion
Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Russia, Valery Gerasimov, received information two weeks before the attack on Ukraine that Ukrainian troops were gathering at the Kursk region border. The military official ignored the information, acting as if nothing threatened the Russians. According to Bloomberg, this information did not reach Vladimir Putin either.
According to Bloomberg journalists, Russian intelligence had warned Gerasimov and other high-ranking officials two weeks before the attack that Ukrainian soldiers were gathering at the Kursk region border. This information was not only ignored by the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Russia, but according to Bloomberg's source, it did not reach President Vladimir Putin either.
The source, who wishes to remain anonymous, emphasizes that although Gerasimov's actions are increasingly criticized, he is unlikely to be dismissed in the near future. However, the Kremlin's patience regarding how he is conducting the war is starting to run out.
Russia has declared a state of emergency in the Kursk region, where the third day of fighting to repel the invasion, which, according to Gerasimov, was conducted by "up to 1,000 Ukrainian troops, driving tanks and other armoured vehicles and supported by drones and artillery," is ongoing. The general told Putin during a video conference that Russia has deployed troops and artillery and is conducting airstrikes to halt the offensive.
The Ukrainian breakthrough in the Kursk region came at a time when fighting on the front lines in eastern and southern Ukraine remains rather stalemated.
Gerasimov reportedly appealed not to "spread panic"
The Rybar channel on Telegram, which is close to the Russian Ministry of Defence, wrote that the military command did not pay attention to reports of Ukrainian soldiers gathering near the Kursk region. The channel does not specify who ignored the impending attack's message. However, as the 24tv.ua portal reminds us, Gerasimov has been commanding the Russian troop formations in Ukraine since January 2023.
The information from Rybar aligns with data published by the VChK-OGPU Telegram channel. According to it, Gerasimov was informed two weeks ago that an invasion of the Kursk region might occur. As the channel writes, Gerasimov appealed for people to "not spread panic" and "not fall for enemy disinformation."
