The news
Ukraine has advanced about 30 kilometers (20 miles) into Russia and is digging trenches there, following the example of Kiev. unexpected invasion last week to the Kursk region.
The attack, which marks Ukraine’s most significant offensive maneuver since the start of the war, may be an attempt to force Russia to negotiate the return of captured Ukrainian territory.
SIGNALS
Kiev wants to destabilize border with Russia
Initial reports of the Ukrainian advance suggested that hundreds of troops had crossed the border into Russia, but a Ukrainian official told AFP that “thousands” of people were involved in the incursion. The plan, the official added, is to Destabilize Russia and force its military to respond to “light, fast-moving attacks,” The Guardian reported. “The aim is to expand the enemy’s positions, inflict maximum losses and destabilize the situation in Russia, as they are unable to protect their own border,” the official added.
Invasion may be an attempt to end war faster
Kiev has signaled that it is ready to negotiate an end to the war, and Ukrainians are growing weary of the conflict. The Kursk invasion may be an attempt to coerce Moscow, an analyst noted in Foreign Policy. Throughout the war, Russia has been successful in pushing the narrative that peace could come with a land swap — and Ukraine may be forcing Russia to agree to exchange annexed territory for Kursk“This puts (Russian President Vladimir) Putin in a difficult position: losing control over parts of Russia itself is a huge embarrassment for the Kremlin,” the analyst noted, and “the restoration of legitimate Russian state territory will take precedence over the continued occupation of recently conquered territories.”
