The attack at Kursk has humiliated the Russian army and Putin has many reasons for concern.

The sudden breach of the border in the Kursk region of Russia and subsequent hostilities has caused humiliation for the Russian army.

“In less than 48 hours, Ukraine seized more territory than during the entire unsuccessful counteroffensive of the summer of 2023,” The Telegraph noted.

According to the publication, the Kursk operation has three goals – to distract Russian troops from offensive operations in the Donetsk region, to sow discord within Russia itself, and to promote an agreement to exchange territories during possible future negotiations.

However, Ukraine’s progress will likely be short-lived due to Western and domestic pressure, which is expected to force Kyiv to change course.

“Apart from the alleged threats to destroy Ukraine and use tactical nuclear weapons, Russia has not reacted significantly to the Kursk offensive. With F-16s also arriving on the front lines, Putin has many reasons for concern,” the analysts summarized.

At the same time, British intelligence has reported that Russian ground forces continue to advance in many areas of the Donetsk front, and that Russia had made tactical progress.