The Ukrainian military's breakthrough into Russia's Kursk region is the first time since World War II that another country's army has invaded Russia, Bloomberg reports UNN.
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Bloomberg writes that the invasion of thousands of Ukrainian troops into the Kursk region, which has been going on for three days, has caught the Russian military by surprise. It is the first time since World War II that an army of another country has invaded Russian territory.
Yesterday, Putin summoned the heads of the army and security services for explanations with a grim face. Angry Russian military bloggers accused the top officials of staggering incompetence.
European gas prices have risen amid reports of fighting near a key Russian station on the last gas pipeline route to Europe through Ukraine. However, so far, gas continues to flow.
Bloomberg notes that the Ukrainian leadership is silent on the mission and its goals. There are many theories: from an attempt to seize territory as a potential bargaining chip in future negotiations with Moscow to a tactic to distract Russian forces from the front line.
У міноборони рф визнали просування ЗСУ у двох районах курської області 08.08.24, 13:02
The White House said it would seek a "better understanding" from Kyiv, adding that Ukraine had not violated U.S. rules on the use of U.S.-supplied weapons in Russia.
The episode exposed the fragility of Russia's border defense as more and more of its soldiers fight in Ukraine. It has boosted the morale of Ukrainians, Bloomberg notes.
The war started by Putin in Ukraine is now increasingly spreading to Russia, where people in border regions live under constant risk of shelling and drones strike key industrial facilities
As for Ukraine, Bloomberg believes that this is likely to bolster Kyiv's argument that its American and European allies should not be afraid of the Kremlin's threats of escalation and that it should be allowed to retaliate against Putin in any way it sees fit to speed up the end of the war.