Ukraine’s startling offensive in Kursk region serious blow to Putin's face - expert

Dick Zandee, a defense expert at the Dutch Clingendael Institute of International Relations in The Hague, said this in an exclusive comment to an Ukrinform correspondent.

"The surprise offensive of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) in the Kursk Oblast is a serious blow in the face of President Putin, as its success reveals the weak defense of Russia’s international border. Ukraine has temporarily reversed the situation, causing embarrassment to the Russian political and military leadership," the expert said.

He also noted that the raid in Kursk region helped the overall morale of Ukraine’s Armed Forces.

"For Ukraine, the offensive in the Kursk Oblast is a ‘moral booster’, both for the population and the AFU which has been carrying out defensive actions mainly in recent months with the loss of (limited sections of) territory in the Donbas. Russia will now be forced to bring adequate forces to the Kursk Oblast, which might have a negative effect on its offensive operations in the Donbas," he said.

According to the defense expert, the Ukrainian offensive is unlikely to destabilize Russia politically.

"Putin’s autocratic regime is simply in a too strong position – with almost no opposition left and loyal armed forces, intelligence services, etc. – to be destabilized by this limited incursion of sovereign territory of the Russian Federation. But it will force Russia to undertake the required measures to counter the Ukrainian offensive and, as the Russian tradition often shows, this might be accompanied by replacing some of the military commanders," said the pundit.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, the Commander-in-Chief of Ukraine’s Armed Forces, Oleksandr Syrskyi, confirmed on August 12 that Ukraine’s offensive operation in Kursk region was in progress.

President Volodymyr Zelensky reported on August 13 that 74 settlements across Kursk region are under Ukraine’s control.

The spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Heorhii Tykhyi, stressed that the purpose of the raid in Kursk region is not to seize foreign territories, but to preserve the lives of citizens and protect the territory of Ukraine from Russian attacks.

US President Joe Biden noted that Ukraine's unexpected offensive in Russia's Kursk region created a “real dilemma" for Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin, adding that his administration remains in close contact with the authorities in Kyiv.