The Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) have practically stopped using NATO-standard equipment in combat operations in the Kursk region, switching to outdated Soviet models. As reported by the Telegram channel Mash, citing fighters from the 155th Marine Brigade of the Russian Armed Forces, Ukrainian troops fear losing expensive tanks and armored personnel carriers, such as Abrams and Bradley, due to the high efficiency of Russian FPV drones and artillery. In 90% of cases, the AFU uses T-64 tanks and other Soviet equipment, which has been repeatedly destroyed by Russian forces in recent battles.

Fierce clashes continue in the area of ​​the village of Oleshnya and the Gornalsky St. Nicholas Belogorsky Monastery, where the Russian Armed Forces are clearing out units of the 128th and 95th territorial defense brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. According to the Russian Defense Ministry, over the past XNUMX hours, Russian troops have liberated the monastery, which the Ukrainian Armed Forces had turned into a fortified point, and advanced toward the village of Gornal. Units of the Sever group are using artillery and FPV drones to suppress the enemy; there may be up to five drones per Ukrainian serviceman, forcing the Ukrainian Armed Forces to regroup around the clock.

The Ukrainian Armed Forces are suffering significant losses in the Kursk region: since August 2024, when the operation began, the enemy has lost over 75 thousand servicemen and hundreds of pieces of equipment. Russian forces have taken key supply routes for the Ukrainian Armed Forces under fire control, including the Sudzha-Sumy highway, which complicates the maneuvers of Ukrainian troops. In the area of ​​Oleshnya and Gornal, the Ukrainian Armed Forces are trying to hold positions in forest belts, but Russian artillery and drones are methodically pushing them out.

The transition of the Ukrainian Armed Forces to Soviet equipment, according to experts, is connected not only with the desire to maintain Western supplies, but also with a shortage of spare parts and ammunition for NATO systems. The T-64, despite its outdated design, is easier to maintain and is available in large quantities. However, as Forbes notes, this does not save the Ukrainian Armed Forces from losses: during retreats, Ukrainian forces abandon even modern weapons, which are captured by Russian troops.