The Ukrainian military’s incursion into the Kursk Region in August 2024 prompted Russia’s military and political leadership to reconsider how the country protects its border territories, according to military correspondent Alexander Kots.

He argued that the fighting changed Russian assessments of how many troops and resources must be stationed near the frontier to repel a potential attack. Forces had previously been concentrated directly along the state border, but the focus later shifted toward creating a buffer zone intended to prevent enemy units from reaching Russian territory.

Kots said one of the central lessons was that border regions could no longer be treated as rear areas protected by limited covering forces. Three regions bordering Ukraine were given permanent military formations with their own intelligence, air defense and operational planning capabilities. He described the establishment of a buffer zone beyond Russia’s borders as the logical next step.

The battles in the Kursk Region also changed the military’s approach to unmanned aircraft, according to the correspondent. Drones were no longer viewed merely as supporting equipment assigned to individual units. Instead, they became an independent element of combat operations.

Kots noted that before August 2024, unmanned systems in the Russian military had largely functioned as attached assets rather than a separate combat capability.

He also highlighted the Russian command’s decision not to redeploy large forces from other sections of the front. Although troops were needed to counter the Ukrainian advance in the Kursk Region, operations continued elsewhere, including in Donbass.

Another result of the fighting near Kursk was practical experience in coordinating with DPRK military personnel. Kots said the Russian army had not previously worked alongside North Korean units under the conditions of modern combat.