The Guardian: Russia knew about Ukraine's preparation for Kursk operation – documents found

Russia's military command reportedly knew about Ukraine's plans to invade the Kursk region months before the operation began, according to The Guardian, citing documents captured by Ukrainian forces that Russian troops left behind at their positions.

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Journalists reported that the documents from Russia's Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Federal Security Service (FSB), and the General Staff were handed to them in late August by a "Ukrainian special operations team" just hours after they left the Kursk region. However, The Guardian could not independently verify the authenticity of the documents.

According to the documents, Russia’s military command had been preparing an operation to prevent a Ukrainian army breakthrough. The documents also reveal chaos among Russian soldiers and low morale within their ranks.

The documents included orders to various units and handwritten logs detailing issues on the front lines. The earliest entries date back to late 2023, with the most recent six weeks before the Ukrainian incursion into the Kursk region on August 6. Most of the documents were related to units of Russia's 488th Guards Motorized Rifle Regiment, specifically the second company of the 17th Battalion.

Despite Ukraine keeping its operation a secret, the alleged Russian military documents contain warnings months ahead of the invasion. They suggest that the Ukrainian Armed Forces would attempt to seize the town of Sudzha.

A note from January 4 warns of the "potential for a breakthrough at the state border." Russian commanders were ordered to increase preparations to repel an attack in this area. By February 19, the documents show Russian commanders were warned about Ukrainian plans for "a rapid push from the Sumy region into Russian territory, up to a depth of 80km [50 miles], to establish a four-day ‘corridor’ ahead of the arrival of the main Ukrainian army units on armored vehicles."

In mid-March, units guarding the border were ordered to reinforce their positions and "organize additional exercises" to prepare for a Ukrainian cross-border attack. Additionally, there were warnings that Ukrainian saboteurs might operate behind Russian lines while wearing Russian uniforms.

"To prevent enemy infiltration into our combat formations … commanders are to implement the use of identification marker variant n6, made from materials 8cm wide, to be attached using invisible tape," an order from this period states.

In mid-June, more specific information had emerged. Russian military commanders warned that Ukrainian forces would move toward the towns of Yunakivka and Sudzha, with plans to capture the latter. There were also warnings about the destruction of bridges over the Seym River.

The documents also revealed that Russian forces on the front were only 60-70% staffed, primarily "made up of reserves with weak training." Following the Ukrainian incursion on August 6, some soldiers abandoned their positions without a fight.

"They ran away, without even evacuating or destroying their documents," The Guardian quotes a member of the special operations team who retrieved the files.

The documents also mention the parents of a captured Russian soldier, 22-year-old Vadim Kopylov, who recorded a "tearful video appeal." They urged the authorities to arrange his exchange.

Additionally, the documents describe Russian army tactics over the past year, including the creation of fake trenches and positions to confuse Ukrainian forces. A few soldiers were to be stationed there to "light fires at night and walk around with torches."

"Models of tanks, armored vehicles and artillery launchers should be created as well as mannequins of soldiers, and they should be periodically moved around," an order obtained by journalists reads.

One document describes a case of suicide. On January 20, a conscripted soldier shot himself in the stomach in a field shower. After this incident, commanders were ordered to transfer such soldiers to military medical facilities and to dedicate an hour a week to "political instruction" to boost morale.

"The analysis of the current situation regarding suicides shows that the issue of servicemen dying as a result of suicidal incidents remains tense... The investigation into the incident determined that the cause of the suicide and death was a nervous and psychological breakdown, caused by his prolonged state of depression due to his service in the Russian army," the document reads.

Read also: Ukraine calls for U.N., Red Cross to send representatives to Kursk region