Battle of Kursk that would be launched after the German offensive had halted. Soviet offensive operations for the summer of 1943 were planned to begin after the strength of the German forces had been dissipated by their Kursk offensive. As the German momentum in the north slowed, the Soviets launched Operation "Kutusov" on 12 July against Army Group Centre in the Orel salient, directly north of the Kursk salient. The Bryansk Front, under the command of Markian Popov, attacked the eastern face of the Orel salient while the Western Front, commanded by Vasily Sokolovsky, attacked from the north. The Western Front's assault was
Kursk municipal division, the city of oblast significance of Kursk is incorporated as Kursk Urban Okrug. In addition to its importance as an administrative hub, Kursk is important as an industrial centre. Activity focuses on iron based industry, the chemical sector and a large food processing industry, reflecting the richness of agriculture in the surrounding "Black Earth" region. Particularly noteworthy is the so-called Kursk Magnetic Anomaly "(Russian: Курская магнитная аномалия)", the world's largest known iron-ore reserve, where the iron content of the ore ranges from 35% up to 60%. In Kurchatov, some to the south-west, is the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant,