16 August 2024

Why Ukraine’s Surprise Incursion on Russia Should Give Us Hope

Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, William Taylor, Barry McCaffrey, James Clapper and Stephen Henriques

Ukraine is not about to seize Moscow, but its armed forces surprised many with its assault deep into Russian soil, now reportedly extending their reach from an initial six miles to more than 20. The recent counter-offensive by Ukrainian forces into Russia’s bordering Kursk region not only signifies the resolve of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, military leaders, and soldiers but also evokes important events in military history worth remembering.

In just a mere 24 hours, Ukraine's forces defeated two major lines of fortifications in the Kursk region that took Russia over two-and-a-half years and over $170 million to construct. Leading Kremlin critic, financier William Browder called this triumph is a profound humiliation for Putin’s aura of invincibility weakening his image before the Russian people.

While Ukraine’s advances are only slight in a geographical sense, they are significant in other ways that are equally, if not more, essential to finding success on the battlefield. Parallel moments in history show the strategic and symbolic implications of this campaign.

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