History is replete with examples of all kinds of empires falling in the face of seemingly weaker opponents. From the biblical battle between David and Goliath and the American War of Independence against the Great British Empire, to the fall of the Soviet Empire. The victory of the “weak Davids” has always seemed unexpected, and the fall of the “strong Goliaths” has always been deafening.
We are on the threshold of similar events, and the Kursk operation in Russia is their manifestation. In fact, it takes into account the experience of Prigozhin’s march on Moscow in 2023, which showed Russia’s internal weakness and fragility. At that time, 5,000 fighters were able to capture Rostov-on-Don with a population of more than 1.1 million people and march without resistance almost all the way to Moscow.
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This showed Moscow’s inability to fight a global war on its own territory. From that moment on, it was only a matter of time before operations like the current Kursk incursion were carried out. Moreover, Ukraine’s survival demanded it. After all, in the theater of war in which there is a relatively static, entrenched front line, similar to World War I, Russia has a strategic advantage over Ukraine. So, it was simply vital for Ukraine to transfer the battle to Russian territories – to transfer the course of military operations into a state of mobile warfare – despite the objections of its Western partners and allies. Which, by the way, had themselves lost such wars against more mobile opponents.
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The Kursk operation required only one thing – the courage to “turn the table.” As they say: Fortis fortuna adiuvat – fortune favors the brave.
And just when all the circumstances were favorable for such an operation, Ukraine was able to accumulate the necessary troops and means in the Sumy-Kharkiv region under the guise of protecting it from a potential Russian invasion. To accumulate without suspicion on the part of Moscow. At the same time, Russia has thrown all its resources into conducting offensive operations in the Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia sectors. On top of that, a successful information campaign was conducted in the Ukrainian information space about a possible Russian offensive in the north of Ukraine, which further put the enemy’s vigilance to sleep. The operation itself had been in preparation for several months.
Already on the first days of the operation, we can say that everything was planned correctly.
The Ukrainian troops were facing an almost empty Russian rear, which Moscow was simply unable to defend. That is why the members of the Russian Security Council on Aug. 7 had such bewildered faces. There was nothing to oppose them. And all Putin’s statements about the provocative nature of the operation are empty talk.
The Kursk operation should expand in the next few days with raids on the rear and in depth, including the “Prigozhinskaya” highway M-4 and in the Chernihiv direction, with strikes on logistics and communications of the Donetsk front of Russia. After all, fate helps the brave.
The result of this operation, and subsequent raids, will be a complete change in the nature of the war towards mobility, where Ukraine has the advantage. Russia is incapable of this kind of action and does not have sufficient resources to defend its entire vast territory. Like all empires before it, Russia is a colossus on clay feet whose destiny is to fall. Moreover, all fears of a potential unpredictable retaliatory attack by Russia against Ukraine’s just and proactive defense have consistently proven to be empty and unjustified.
Yet another important result of the Kursk operation is the absolute impossibility of truce negotiations.
Now only one question remains: are you with us or not?
The views expressed in this opinion article are the author’s and not necessarily those of Kyiv Post.
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