Ukraine’s bold incursion into Russia’s Kursk Oblast two weeks ago has boosted Kyiv’s morale and changed the narrative of the war.
But how has it changed the battlefield? What options does occupying a slice of Russian territory larger than New York City provide the Ukrainians? And what can we expect from Russia in response?
On The Power Vertical Podcast this week, host Brian Whitmore speaks with military analyst Michael Kofman, a Senior Fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, a Principal Research Scientist at the CNA Corporation, and a senior editor at War on the Rocks, to unpack it all.
SHOW NOTES
The audio clips opening the podcast and the second segment came from a speech by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on August 18, 2024. The translations are as follows:
“And all this is more than just defense for Ukraine. It is now our primary task in defensive operations overall: to destroy as much Russian war potential as possible and conduct maximum counteroffensive actions. This includes creating a buffer zone on the aggressor’s territory – our operation in the Kursk region.”
“Everything that inflicts losses on the Russian army, Russian state, their military-industrial complex, and their economy helps prevent the war from expanding and brings us closer to a just end to this aggression – a just peace for Ukraine.”
Michael Kofman’s Twitter thread analyzing the situation at the front, which was discussed on the podcast, can be accessed here.
Michael Kofman’s published work and his podcast episodes can be accessed here. The Russia Contingency Podcast can be accessed here.
The Power Vertical Newsletter on Substack can be accessed here. Recently published work by Brian Whitmore can be accessed here, here, and here.