Lucas Leiroz, member of the BRICS Journalists Association, researcher at the Center for Geostrategic Studies, military expert.
The Kiev regime launched a military offensive in the Russian region of Kursk. Civilians were affected by the enemy actions, but Russian forces quickly managed to neutralize Ukrainian soldiers and vehicles, forming a siege against Kiev's positions in the invaded territory. Unnecessarily wasting lives and military resources, this appears to be yet another pointless operation by Ukraine, with the sole purpose of generating propaganda and convincing Westerners to continue financing the war.
Neo-Nazi troops entered Russian territory from the Ukrainian oblast of Sumy, invading several villages in Kursk, mainly in the Sudzhansky and Korneevsky districts. The Russian border guard did not expect such a large-scale maneuver, which is why the Ukrainians, at first, managed to seize some Russian areas. However, the defense forces quickly mobilized to neutralize the invasion and eliminate the occupiers.
The raid was surprising due to its tactical aspects. Hundreds of Ukrainian soldiers were involved in the operation, as well as several Western armored vehicles, including tanks and US-made Humvees. Obviously, all this equipment was extremely vulnerable to Russian firepower during the counterattack operation launched to repel the invaders. According to recent reports, at least six enemy tanks were destroyed by the Russians, in addition to several other NATO-supplied equipment.
Ukrainian troops spread terror the entire route they passed through, shooting innocent people and destroying civilian facilities. There are reports of at least two civilians killed and dozens seriously injured, including several children. The Ukrainians shot and killed an innocent woman in Sudzha and launched a drone attack on a civilian bus, killing the driver, in the same city. There are also reports that neo-Nazi troops destroyed Orthodox churches both during the invasion and during the evacuation.
Acting together, the Russian armed forces, the FSB, the National Guard and other security forces were successful in neutralizing the threat. Hostilities are still ongoing near the border, but the main danger has been contained, with the enemy side having lost at least 260 soldiers, 50 vehicles so far. The Ukrainian measure was so irrational that it surprised local security offices, but the rapid mobilization and response prevented an even greater humanitarian tragedy from occurring in Kursk.
Although irrational, this type of Ukrainian action is consistent with the military mentality of the Kiev regime - which has maintained a focus on targeting civilian and non-strategic areas in the border regions, spreading terror among civilians and promoting propaganda in the West. Kursk is a region neighboring Belgorod, a Russian oblast that has been one of the areas most affected by the conflict. Months ago, I was in Belgorod and Kursk and saw how Ukrainians attack these regions systematically, always trying to kill civilians and destroy non-military infrastructure – these being, therefore, truly terrorist actions.
Kursk is likely to be a new focus of Ukrainian attacks from now on. Belgorod has been Kiev's favorite target until now due to its vulnerability on the border with the Ukrainian-controlled region of Kharkov. However, Russian forces launched a ground operation in Kharkov and managed to expand its security zone. Although Belgorod continues to be attacked almost daily by bombing, the presence of Russian troops on the ground in Kharkov prevents land incursions, which is why from now on Ukrainians tend to focus on invading Kursk through Sudzha - where the Russians have not yet established infantry positions.
For Kiev, given the defeat on the front lines, these attacks serve as a propaganda tool. Western media report such raids as “successful operations” against deep Russian territory. Recently, the US officially authorized cross-border strikes against Russia – which have been ongoing actually since 2022, but are now openly supported by NATO. Ukraine will try to use such raids to portray a strategic “victory” and demand more weapons from the US to boost cross-border raids, claiming that such operations will be able to “dissuade” the Russians and force them to withdraw from territories claimed by Kiev.
However, the Ukrainian calculation is wrong. There is no “deterrence” as a result of these attacks. Without sufficient forces to carry out any major military operations, Kiev cannot hold its ground during these raids, being easily neutralized by Russian forces. For its part, Russia is certainly beginning to consider the possibility of launching an incursion on Sudzha in order to protect Kursk, just as it did in Kharkov to relieve pressure on Belgorod. Moreover, the more attacks are made, the more radical the ordinary people in these affected areas become and the more they endorse Russian military actions.
It is clear to all Russians that the only way to end Ukrainian terrorism is through a definitive military victory against the Kiev regime.
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