Despite this, NATO reportedly has no reservations about Ukraine's cross-border offensive, which the U.S. and NATO claim they were unaware of until the attack began. Another NATO official told the news outlet that the incursion demonstrates Ukraine's capability to challenge Russia effectively.
Heavy fighting has erupted in Kursk since over 1,000 Ukrainian soldiers and dozens of armored vehicles – many supplied by the U.S. – entered Russian territory last Tuesday. Ukrainian forces have managed to capture numerous villages but are facing significant losses. The Russian Defense Ministry reported that Ukraine has lost 420 soldiers in the past day alone, with over 2,000 casualties since the invasion began. These figures remain unverified as Kyiv does not disclose its casualty numbers.
The invasion appears to be a strategic move by Ukraine to strengthen its position in future negotiations. Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Georgiy Tykhy stated on Tuesday that Ukraine does not aim to "take over" Russian territory. "The sooner Russia agrees to restore a just peace… the sooner the raids by Ukrainian defense forces into Russia will stop," he said. (Related: Ukraine fails to force ultimatum on Russia following August 11 attack on Kursk nuclear plant: "Most of the equipment has already been destroyed.")
Although the U.S. claims ignorance of Ukraine's plans for the Kursk invasion, it continues to support the operation by supplying Ukrainian forces with American weapons. U.S. President Joe Biden described the offensive as a "real dilemma" for Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The U.S.-backed operation, the largest invasion of Russian soil since World War II, represents a major escalation in the proxy war and risks provoking a significant Russian response, Antiwar.com's Dave deCamp wrote. Putin has characterized the incursion as an attempt by the West to use Ukrainians to attack Russia, he added.
Russia redeploys troops in Kursk
In response to the incursion, Russia appears to have redeployed several thousand troops from occupied Ukrainian territory to respond to the Ukrainian offensive inside Russian borders, potentially undermining Moscow's broader war efforts, two senior U.S. officials told CNN.
This shift has captured American attention, with U.S. officials now working to assess the scale of the Russian troop movements. Reports indicate that multiple brigade-sized units, each comprising at least 1,000 troops, have been redirected to the Kursk region.
The unexpected Ukrainian incursion has opened up intriguing strategic possibilities. What began as a seemingly quixotic attempt to embarrass Putin might now have significant battlefield implications, depending on how long Ukraine can maintain its hold over the Russian territory.
The covert nature of the Ukrainian operation, which even caught U.S. officials off guard, has impressed American observers. The operation has disrupted some of Ukraine's defenses along the extensive 600-mile frontline but may also divert Russian troops who have been making incremental gains inside Ukraine this summer. Ukraine claimed to have reclaimed over 1,000 square kilometers (386 square miles) of Russian-occupied land, displacing tens of thousands of Russians.
However, Russia still has hundreds of thousands of troops stationed along the frontline in Ukraine, so diverting a few thousand may not drastically impact the short-term situation.
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Watch the video below that talks about Ukraine's cross-border incursion into Russia.
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