Ukraine's attack on Russia: an act of courage, a risky move, or a well-thought-out strategy?

On August 6, the Ukrainian army launched a military offensive into Russian territory. For some commentators, this was a true act of courage, while for others, it was a very risky and somewhat reckless move. Russian territory has not been occupied since World War II, so it is important to understand the objectives of the Ukrainian military offensive. It is true that, at the moment, the Ukrainian attack raises more questions than it provides answers. The answers will come in time.

More than a week has passed since the start of the offensive, and we can already see the goals Ukraine is pursuing. The first objective was to draw Russian forces away from the front lines in eastern Ukraine to the Kursk region. Another goal was to occupy territory that could be used as a bargaining chip in future peace negotiations and to accelerate those talks. Recent polls in Ukraine show that 56 percent of Ukrainians want peace negotiations to begin, but more than 80 percent do not accept ceding territory to Russia based on terms imposed by Russia. As part of peace talks, the Russians might have to resort to a territorial swap with Ukraine, but Putin will certainly not give up the Donbas. There is also talk here of a possible nuclear power plant swap. The Ukrainians could take the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in exchange for the one in Kursk. Another goal would be to displace Russian soldiers, that is, to push them back into Russian territory.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated on Tuesday that the Ukrainian army has claimed control over 74 settlements covering approximately 1,000 square kilometers of Russian territory. Some sources say that, at this point, the Ukrainians have captured more territory in one week than they did from the Russians in all of 2024.

We can say that Ukraine's invasion of Russia, which the Russian President called a "large-scale provocation," has led to the largest and fastest shift in the front lines of the war. That is, since the last Ukrainian offensive into Russian-controlled areas in the Kharkiv and Kherson regions in the autumn of 2022.

Beyond the objectives pursued on the battlefield, this offensive also has a psychological dimension. We can sense that Ukraine wants to break Russia's pride by damaging its political reputation both in the eyes of the Russians and the international community. The Ukrainian attack was a shocking moment for all of Russia and caught Russian officials by surprise. The military aid promised by the West, which was delayed or arrived in quite small quantities and numbers over 30 months, had weakened the fighting spirit of the Ukrainians. Thanks to this Ukrainian operation on Russian soil, the morale of the Ukrainian army has risen. This offensive was something the Ukrainians had not been able to do since they liberated Kherson 2 years ago. The fact that the Ukrainian army could not make significant progress on the battlefield for 2 years had psychologically affected both the army and the administration in Kyiv.

Russia announced that it had launched a counter-terrorism operation in the region, claiming that what the Ukrainians did was nothing more than an act of terrorism. Putin admitted that with this operation, Ukraine is trying to strengthen its position in potential peace talks.

The US and European states deny that they knew about the Ukrainians' plan, but I think we are all aware that this is not possible. For 2 years, it was forbidden for the Ukrainians to use weapons provided by NATO member countries on Russian territory. Now these weapons are being used, and the West is trying to convince us that it was unaware of the Ukrainian operation.

The Ukrainian attack is very risky. If the Ukrainians can manage to maintain their presence in the Kursk region, they will have established the psychological superiority that is so important in war. However, if Russia succeeds in retaking the occupied territory, Ukrainian military leaders could be accused of giving the Russians more reasons for a counter-attack.

This attack is also a form of revenge by the Ukrainians against the Russians or Russia. From various interviews, we can see that Ukrainians declare that "it is time for the Russians to feel firsthand what war means." A statement given to the British newspaper The Economist by a Ukrainian soldier who was wounded in this attack and is impatient to recover so he can continue fighting includes the phrase, "I feel like a tiger."

Ukrainian troops have been on Russian soil for more than a week and there is a possibility of further progress; those following this war might wonder what happened to Russia, which wanted to conquer Kyiv in 3 days. What will be Russia's response to this bold or risky act by Ukraine? Of course, Putin will not forgive such an attack, and a response from Russia is expected regarding this matter.

President Putin has repeatedly stated, rather jokingly than seriously, that "Russia's borders do not end anywhere," but the Ukrainian army's attack proved that Russia does have borders.

In my article last week, I mentioned that I like the proverbs of peoples or countries whose languages I know. I will end today's article with a well-known Russian proverb: "The strong do not need to be smart." Will Russia confirm this proverb in the coming weeks?