Ukraine's secret strike in Kursk: A calculated move unveiled

The New York Times reports that Kyiv kept the attack plan in the Kursk region strictly confidential until the very end. "Some units were told of their mission only at the last moment," the article reads.

The New York Times states that only a few people knew about the strike plans. The troops directed to the Kursk area were concentrated near the border under the pretext of exercises and equipment deliveries.

"Even within the army, many were kept in the dark. Tykhyi — which means "quiet one" in Ukrainian — said some units were told of their mission only at the last moment," reports the American newspaper.

Some senior officers found out about the strike plans on August 3. The newspaper, citing sources in the Ukrainian army, reports that one of the colonels called his subordinates that day to announce the mission objectives: "To divert Russian troops to help fellow soldiers fighting in the eastern Donbas region. To push Russian artillery out of range of Sumy. To demoralize the Russians by showing their intelligence and planning failures" were the objectives they were said to have heard.

"The New York Times" also reports that Kyiv did not share operational plans with Washington. The decision not to inform allies was partly due to "Ukraine’s obsessive concern over leaks."

An important factor preventing Kyiv from sharing its counteroffensive plan was also the fear of the US reaction. According to American officials interviewed by the newspaper, the Ukrainians assumed that the White House would try to dissuade them from their attack plans.