Russia didn't defend Kursk because they didn't think Ukraine would be stupid enough to make that attack. That was a temporary PR win and a permanent strategic l

Russia didn't defend Kursk because they didn't think Ukraine would be stupid enough to make that attack. That was a temporary PR win and a permanent strategic loss. The results have been the elimination of Ukraine's best troops AND losing the ability to reinforce faltering lines which is why Russian advances have increased. Maneuver warfare relies on secrecy to a large degree. You can hide strategic troop buildups from the Taliban because they don't have satellites, but not from a near peer. With current spotter drones and IR cameras, you can't really even rely on tactical secrecy.