Ukraine’s Captured a Lot of Russian Territory, but Could It Backfire?

Earlier in August, Ukraine launched a surprise offensive into Russia’s Kursk region, taking a large swath of territory. However, the effect the gains could have on the war at large remains unclear.

Bad Idea, Right?: Ivan Eland, writing for The American Conservative (Right bias) claimed that Russian President Vladimir Putin has “obviously been unsettled” by Ukraine’s offensive, but questioned whether it’s actually a good idea for Ukraine. Eland argued that if Ukraine is interested in ending the war immediately and negotiating with Russia, it may be a good idea. Otherwise, he wrote, “it is a risky offensive undertaken merely for psychological effects” as “offensive warfare usually incurs more casualties and burns more weapons.”

Political Leverage: An analysis from Euronews (Center bias) highlighted how both Russia and Ukraine are making gains inside each other’s countries and that the Russians don’t appear to be pulling forces away from Donbas. Euronews highlighted an expert opinion that Ukraine might have had the U.S. presidential election in mind when launching the invasion, hoping to rally support for more Western aid.

‘Idiotic’ Move: A report from The Economist (Left bias) cited a Ukrainian soldier who said the Kursk invasion initially lifted Ukrainian morale but ultimately proved insignificant as “The Russians have figured things out and aren’t taking the bait.” The soldier criticized Ukrainian military leadership for “idiotic” orders, like redeploying special forces units to Kursk as Russia has not pulled troops from its Donbas frontline.