Ukraine's foray into Russia's border region embarrasses Putin. How will it affect the course of war?
Ukrainian incursion into Russia's Kursk region was the largest such cross-border raid by Kyiv's forces in the nearly 2½-year war, exposing Russia's vulnerabilities and dealing a painful blow to the Kremlin. The surprise foray has prompted thousands of civilians to flee the region as the Russian military struggles to repel the attack.
For Ukraine, the cross-border raid offers a much-needed boost to public morale at a time when the country's undermanned and under-gunned forces have faced relentless Russian attacks along the more than 1,000 kilometre front line.
A glance at the Ukrainian raid and its implications.
How did the Ukrainian attack unfold?
Kyiv's troops poured into the Kursk region from several directions early Tuesday, quickly overwhelming a few checkpoints and field fortifications manned by lightly armed border guards and infantry units along the region's 245-kilometre frontier with Ukraine.
Unlike previous raids conducted by small groups of Russian volunteers fighting alongside Ukrainian forces, the incursion into the Kursk region reportedly involved units from several battle-hardened Ukrainian army brigades.
Russian military bloggers reported that Ukrainian mobile groups comprised of several armored vehicles each quickly drove dozens of kilometres into Russian territory, bypassing Russian fortifications and sowing panic across the region.
The Institute for the Study of War, a Washington-based think-tank, said Ukrainian forces have managed to push up to 35 kilometres deep into the region. «Ukrainian
