Putin's war narrative challenged: Kursk front realities exposed

Vladimir Putin addressed the situation on the front in the Kursk Oblast. However, as the "Belsat" station reported, analysing data from publicly available sources presents a completely different picture. This is another example of how Russian authorities manipulate the reality of the war's course.

Putin stated that the Russian army had stabilised the situation and started "pushing the enemy out of the border areas". However, "Belsat" reports that an analysis of data from publicly available sources suggests a completely different picture.

Thanks to satellite data, the dynamics and intensity of military actions can be tracked. NASA's FIRMS service regularly updates the global map of fires and thermal anomalies, allowing precise identification of areas where the heaviest fighting or massive shelling is taking place.

For example, in the last five days, the conflict zone has moved deeper into the Bolsheoldsko area, and large fire outbreaks are already visible on the outskirts of the village of Bolshe Soldatskoe, informs "Belsat".

The intensity of fighting around the settlement of Korenevo has significantly increased, and the shelling in the neighbouring Rylsky district is becoming more intense. Military actions in the Glushkovo district have also escalated. According to "Belsat", the only area where the Russians are successfully holding back the Ukrainian army's advance is the border between the Sudzha and Belovsky districts.

On the Russian side, there are clear discrepancies in the assessments of the progress of the Ukrainian offensive in the Kursk Oblast. Unlike Ukrainian sources, Russian so-called Z-correspondents and military bloggers regularly and in detail report the course of military actions, offering their analyses and comments.

However, many of these reports are not only overly optimistic but often also deviate from reality.

Sometimes, Ukrainian losses are exaggerated, and imprecise information is given regarding Russian forces' control of areas. Despite attempts to emphasise successes, even the most popular military bloggers do not agree with the narrative that the Russian army is already effectively "pushing" Ukrainian forces out of the border areas.

As noted by "Belsat," there is still no evidence in open sources to confirm Vladimir Putin's statements about the start of this phase of the operation. Contrary to official declarations, there is no information that would indicate that the Russians control the situation in these areas in the way suggested by Russian state media.