Ukraine’s incursion into Russia’s Kursk region has now entered its sixth day.
The Institute for the Study of War has said in its latest statement that Ukraine’s Kursk campaign is a pivotal moment in the war with the potential to change its trajectory.
The US-based think tank says Ukraine has achieved operational surprise against significant odds at the border between the regions of Sumy and Kursk.
Despite recent milblogger claims that Russian forces were stabilising the frontline, the ISW argues that Ukrainian forces appear to be advancing further within Kursk region.
It said that Ukraine could restore operational maneuver by planning and conducting a series of smaller successive counteroffensive operations rather than attempting a single decisive blow.
The Russian Defence Ministry on Sunday released footage showing what it said was Russian armed forces fighting against Ukrainian troops in Russia’s Kursk border region.
The video showed military vehicles and tanks being hit by artillery and Su-25 fighter jets. Reporters cannot independently verify the date and location of the footage.
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s incursion into Russia continued for a sixth day.
The attack, the largest of its kind since Russia’s special military operation and unprecedented for involving Ukrainian units on Russian soil, caught Moscow off guard and was an embarrassment to Russian military leaders who are now struggling to contain the breach.
The exact aims of the operation remain unclear and Ukrainian military officials have adopted a policy of secrecy, presumably to ensure its success.
Military experts have said that it is likely intended to draw Russian reserves away from the intense fighting in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region, and may strengthen Kyiv’s hand in any future negotiations with Russia.