Ukraine’s Push Into Russia Is a Surprising Turn in the War

"Konrad Muzyka, a military analyst for Rochan Consulting in Poland, writing in Ukraine Conflict Monitor, said Ukraine could benefit if the attack reduced Russian attacks in the Donetsk region of Ukraine and allowed Kyiv to maintain a presence in the Kursk area, and thus improve its negotiating position. But Ukraine would be the loser if its troops were pushed back with high losses, he said.

“There is no middle ground here,” Mr. Muzyka wrote. “The operation is daring. Let’s see what the next few days bring.”

Military analysts say they are skeptical that Russia, which has a vastly larger army and arsenal of weapons than Ukraine, would be forced to divert forces from the fighting inside Ukraine to defend its border. Russia has reserves of conscript soldiers it is prohibited by its policies from deploying into Ukraine, but could on Russian soil."

READ REPORT BY ANDREW KRAMER