Ukraine’s Kursk “Success” Speeds own Defeat + the Next US “Wonder Weapon” for Ukraine

Update on the conflict in Ukraine for August 19, 2024…

– As Ukrainian forces continue military operations in Kursk, Russia, the actual line of contact continues to crumble as Russian forces advance;

– Ukrainian progress in Kursk was due to a lack of Russian troops which are now flooding the area to contain and then roll back Ukrainian troops;

– Russian advances along the line of contact consists of overtaking extensive Ukrainian defensive positions;

– The Kursk incursion will raise the cost for Russia, but ultimately will accelerate the collapse of Ukraine’s own fighting capacity;

– US JASSM cruise missiles are being considered for Ukraine, a critical munition required for any future operation against China and a munition that is not produced in quantities equal or larger than even Russian-made cruise missiles;

– JASSMs are air-launched, meaning their use will be restricted by Ukraine’s small number of military aircraft capable of launching them;

References:

Politico – As Kyiv makes gains in Kursk, Russia strikes back in Donetsk (August 15, 2024):
https://www.politico.eu/article/ukrai…

Washington Post – Miscalculations, divisions marked offensive planning by U.S., Ukraine (December 2023):
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/…

NY Times – The Spy War: How the C.I.A. Secretly Helps Ukraine Fight Putin (February 2024):
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/25/wo…

NYT – A Mysterious Plot Prompts a Rare Call From Russia to the Pentagon (July 26, 2024):
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/26/us…

War Zone – JASSM Stealth Cruise Missiles Now On The Table For Ukraine: Report (August 15, 2024):
https://www.twz.com/air/jassm-stealth…

Politico – Biden ‘open’ to sending long-range cruise missiles to Ukraine (August 15, 2024):
https://www.politico.com/news/2024/08…

Air and Space Forces Magazine – Lockheed Martin Looks to Boost LRASM Production as US Rushes to Buy Anti-Ship Weapons (April 2023):
https://www.airandspaceforces.com/loc…

Long War Journal – Estimating Russia’s Kh-101 Production Capacity (December 2022):
https://www.longwarjournal.org/archiv…

Reuters – Ukraine says Russia has launched over 8,000 missiles, 4,630 drones during war (February 2024):
https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/…

Kyiv Post – GUR Reveals Russia’s Missile Stockpile and Production Capacity (November 2023):
https://www.kyivpost.com/post/23736

RFE/RL – Satellite Images Suggest Russia Is Ramping Up Production Capacity For Its War Against Ukraine (November 2023):
https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-rampin…

CSIS – The First Battle of the Next War: Wargaming a Chinese Invasion of Taiwan (January 2023):
https://csis-website-prod.s3.amazonaw…