The Ukrainian offensive deep into Russian territory marks the first direct attack on the country since 1941, according to the French newspaper Le Figaro.
The operation, which began in the Kursk region, is not merely a diversion but signifies a new direction in the conflict, the newspaper suggested.
On Aug. 7, Ukrainian forces seized at least three localities in the Kursk region, as confirmed by local media reports on the same day. Mykhailo Podolak, an advisor to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, also confirmed the offensive on Aug. 8.
In recent months, particularly last spring, Ukrainian forces faced additional challenges due to a Russian attack on the Kharkiv region. Although the aggressors failed to penetrate deeper into Ukraine, it added further strain to the already stretched Ukrainian military.
The operation in the Kursk area might be an attempt to force Russians to redeploy their troops to this region, thereby relieving defenses on other fronts, and possibly even to recapture territories occupied by Russia.
There is also a possibility that the operation is intended to be demonstrative, to convey that, after months of difficult situations, Ukrainians are again in control of the battlefield dynamics.
“The idea (behind this attack) is to show that Ukrainians are still brave, formidable, and not merely retreating,” said an anonymous representative of the French military. The Kursk region is poorly defended compared to areas around Donetsk, where the heaviest fighting is ongoing.
Hellbound and Down 