Front Burner

Will Ukraine's attack inside Russia pay off?

For the first time since Russia invaded, Ukrainian troops have now pushed back and taken territory on the Russian side of the border. Could it turn the tide of the war?
Two Ukrainian tanks driving on road near Russian border crossing point
Ukrainian servicemen ride military vehicles from a crossing point at the border with Russia, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Sumy region, Ukraine August 13, 2024. REUTERS/Viacheslav Ratynskyi TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY (Viacheslav Ratynskyi/Reuters)

Two and half years after Russia first invaded, Ukraine has launched what might be its boldest counterattack yet: a push into the Kursk region. It's the first military incursion across Russian borders since the Second World War, drawing Russian troops away from key battle zones in eastern Ukraine.

Tim Mak, a Kyiv-based journalist who publishes the newsletter The Counteroffensive, explains why Ukraine is betting big on such a risky strategy, and whether it could change the course of this protracted war.

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