Giving a Little Back

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed over the weekend that Ukrainian troops are continuing to fight local Russian border guards and conscripted convicts in Russia’s Kursk region, after Ukrainian forces launched an offensive last week that observers called a major embarrassment for the Kremlin, CNN reported.

The incursion into Russia began Tuesday and marked the first time Ukrainian regular and special operations units have entered Russian territory since the conflict began more than two years ago. Previously Ukraine has conducted limited cross-border attacks in the border region of Belgorod with airstrikes and pro-Ukrainian sabotage groups. Historians said the incursion is the first time foreign troops have entered Russia since World War II,

Ukrainian forces have advanced approximately 20 miles into Russian territory, taking control of at least 96 square miles as of Sunday. The captured areas include the villages Tolpino and Obshchy Kolodez, where Ukrainian troops have been seen replacing Russian flags with Ukrainian ones.

Kyiv’s forces said they intend to stretch Russian defenses, inflict maximum losses, and destabilize the region without any plans to annex the captured territories. Ukrainian officials have emphasized adherence to international humanitarian law during the operation, Agence France-Presse noted. Meanwhile, there’s the morale boost for Ukrainians, who have been living with air strikes, ground fighting, shortages of electricity, and other necessities for two years.

In response to the offensive, Russian President Vladimir Putin described Ukraine’s operations as a “major provocation” and has deployed reserves and additional equipment to the region.

However, he has refrained from declaring a state of war or full mobilization, likely to avoid domestic panic and allow for regime stability.

There have been reports of civilian casualties and more than 76,000 people have been evacuated from the Kursk region, NBC News wrote.

Military analysts explained that Ukraine’s offensive serves to demonstrate Moscow’s vulnerabilities and inability to secure its borders. They also suggested that the operation is also part of Kyiv’s efforts to relieve pressure on other fronts and give it an advantage in peace negotiations.

Meanwhile, even though the offensive underscored a strategic and symbolic victory for Kyiv, Ukraine continues to face Russian attacks: On Sunday, Russia launched missile and drone strikes in the Kyiv region that resulted in civilian casualties, including the deaths of a four-year-old boy and his father.

That attack followed a strike on a supermarket in the Ukrainian town of Kostiantynivka in the Donetsk region that killed at least 11 people and injured 37 others.

Ukrainian army officials have accused Moscow of using advanced weapons in its strikes, including North Korean KN-23 ballistic missiles and Iran-made Shahed drones.

Meanwhile, the United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine reported that July was the deadliest month for Ukrainian civilians since October 2022, with 219 killed and 1,018 injured in missile strikes in densely populated areas.