‘The Hill’: Ukraine’s Kursk offensive is a huge strategic error

Photo: Russian MoD

The incursion into Russia is a step in the wrong direction, writes ‘The Hill’ from Washington. This reckless gambit, more akin to a desperate stunt worthy of a second-rate actor than a seasoned statesman, diverts critical resources from the primary battlefield while offering negligible strategic gain.

While the incursion has captured headlines and inflicted some measure of psychological damage on Russia, such superficial victories do little to alter the fundamental dynamics of the conflict.

More critically, this diversion of forces from the main theater of war is a huge strategic miscalculation. Every soldier, tank and piece of artillery deployed in the Russian incursion represents a loss to the Ukrainian effort to liberate occupied territories. These resources, if concentrated on the front lines, could potentially yield tangible gains, weakening Russian defenses and creating opportunities for decisive breakthroughs.

Instead, Ukraine finds itself embroiled in a costly and ultimately futile endeavor. While the world watches in fascination, the real battle for Ukraine’s future continues to unfold elsewhere. Zelensky’s decision to gamble on a high-stakes publicity stunt is a tragic misjudgment that may have far-reaching consequences.

Moreover, it is essential to consider the potential consequences of such actions. A prolonged incursion into Russia could escalate the conflict, drawing in other nations and potentially leading to a catastrophic global confrontation. It is a dangerous game of chicken, with the stakes for humanity as a whole being unimaginably high.

The world is watching, and the stakes could not be higher. The incursion into Russia is a step in the wrong direction.

Photo: Sputnik Globe

Evidence of an intensifying response in Kursk region is now clear, writes The Economist.

Ukrainian soldiers on the ground inside Russia say they are already beginning to see a different level of resistance. Losses are increasing. The Russians have reinforced with better trained units, including marines and special forces. They had studied the area. A Ukrainian government source says military activity in the Donbas has significantly decreased since August 16th. However there is a big exception: Pokrovsk, the town where Russia was making steady advances before the incursion and where it is seeking to maintain heavy pressure on Ukraine.

The scene is thus set for a dramatic moment in the war: Ukraine wants to sustain its attack inside Russia and disrupt the contours of the frontline, changing the defeatist narrative about a frozen conflict to which negotiation is the only answer. Russia wants to crush the incursion and exploit the resulting depletion of Ukraine’s resources by pressing home its assault elsewhere, in Pokrovsk. The Ukrainian troops inside Russia are more vulnerable.

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