Kursk breakthrough: in search of purpose

Losing, in this context, means hitting the first real obstacles and then turning back home. If we do that, we’ll show the world a disgraceful image — one that makes this operation seem like nothing more than a childish PR stunt. Right now, that’s all the AFU’s raid in Russia’s Kursk region looks like.

Capturing the district center of Sudzha, with its 6,500 residents, isn't much of an achievement. The Russians could easily surround this tiny outpost and obliterate it, even if that means leveling it completely, civilians and all.

Taking over the gas distribution station a few kilometers from Sudzha? That’s hardly a win either. It won’t stop Russian gas from reaching Europe, which is what we’re aiming for. Even if we block it — so what? We could just as easily cut off that gas on our own territory, but we haven’t. Why? Because we’re still trying to appease our European partners who keep buying Russian gas. This isn’t worth risking for.

Even capturing Kurchatov and the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant doesn’t seem like a viable goal. Why? Ukrainians aren’t about to take a chance on terrifying Europe, where people are already terrified of any nuclear threat.

What about the impact on potential negotiations, using it as a bargaining chip? Perhaps, but there aren’t any negotiations happening now, and who knows when there will be. Would a small regional center and a handful of villages be enough leverage for Ukraine to reclaim all the territories Russia has taken — Donbas, Crimea, the Right Bank, Pryazovia?

So what should we do? The Russian army is already mobilizing its reserves. Their strategy? Pulling a company or battalion from each front. They’re too scared to expose their lines. But even with reinforcements, as recent battles show, they struggle to coordinate, let alone succeed.

In other words, they won’t pose a real threat — not in the first days, at least. We’ve already seen it with the crushed Russian column near Rylsk, where artillery and drones wiped out about 500 Russian soldiers in one blow.

That’s why we should take Kursk. Only capturing a major regional center can be a strategic win for Ukraine’s Armed Forces.

Once we’ve secured Kursk, we can immediately start fortifying the north and east, using local equipment and specialists. This would be a serious move. I doubt the Russians would dare bomb their own city with anti-aircraft missiles or shell it.

And the people of Kursk, already terrified by propaganda about the "Ukrainian fascists," would flood the streets of Moscow in tight columns.

Then the real fun would begin for the Kremlin.

For Ukraine’s military and political leadership, this could be a golden opportunity to execute their strategies. Think this plan sounds fantastical? History is full of successful executions of such bold ideas. After all, we’re just playing Putin’s game — raising the stakes. He’s already scared. But what happens if he loses Kursk? How will Russia react to that?

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About the author. Viktor Moroz, Ukrainian publicist, columnist.

The editors do not always share the opinions expressed by the blog authors.