Ukraine's Surprise Attack on Russia: A Turning Point in the War

Ukraine launched a surprise attack on Russia’s Kursk region, sparking panic and raising questions about Russia's defense capabilities. The incursion revealed significant intelligence failures on Russia’s part. The operation, initially misunderstood by Moscow, has created strategic shifts and brought to light the complexities and stakes of the ongoing conflict.

In the early hours before Ukrainian soldiers breached Russia's western border, Moscow showed no signs of alarm. At midnight of August 6, the Russian defence ministry announced over 2,500 awards for heroism to regiments capturing towns in eastern Ukraine.

On August 6, as Ukraine launched its most formidable invasion of Russia since World War Two, the ministry released a video of General Valery Gerasimov, commander of Russia's war efforts, visiting an unspecified Ukrainian combat zone. He appeared unfazed by the unfolding crisis in Russia's Kursk region, which threatened his strategic plans.

Panic swiftly spread among local Russians despite repeated official reassurances of control, as documented by Reuters over the incursion's first two days. The notion that Ukraine might penetrate Russia's defenses seemed implausible until now, raising serious doubts about Russia's surveillance and border fortifications.

(With inputs from agencies.)