Russia’s on the Defensive — Ukraine Captures 1,000km of Russian Territory

I was hesitant to write about this topic so early because we don’t know too much from the ground as of now. Ukraine has an understandable level of secrecy when it comes to the incursion into Russia’s territory, namely Kursk.

But since President Volodymyr Zelensky officially referred to the invasion on Monday, I thought it worth touching on it here as well.

Last Tuesday, Russia reported that Ukrainian forces, including tanks and armored vehicles, had attacked its military positions near two border settlements in the Kursk region.

Since then, Moscow has claimed it has been defending against Ukrainian incursions into the border region, as well as responding to airstrikes targeting Kursk and nearby areas.

Russia’s defense ministry reported that its troops had clashed with Ukrainian forces near the villages of Tolpino and Obshchy Kolodez as the Kursk offensive entered its sixth day. Foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova accused Kyiv of “intimidating the peaceful population of Russia.”

We might as well ask Zakharova what Russia is guilty of then if Ukraine is guilty of intimidation?

Zelensky has defended the incursion, citing that Russia had launched 2,000 cross-border attacks from Kursk over the summer.

This is a significant development in the war. As was clear from the outset, without creating real pressure on Putin’s war machine…