Ukraine is still reeling from Russia’s missile assault on Monday, the largest attack since the war began. Moscow’s actions suggest it believes Ukraine might be driven to make desperate moves.
“Russia’s extensive strikes on Ukraine’s critical infrastructure are almost certainly a reaction to Ukraine’s advance into Kursk Oblast, breaching the Russian border,” Rebekah Koffler told Digital.
Koffler added, “Zelenskyy likely anticipated Russia’s retaliation but proceeded with the risk anyway. He’s committed to staying in the fight, as there’s no viable alternative for him, either personally or professionally.”
“To maintain his position, Zelenskyy requires increased weapons and financial support from the West,” she continued. “He likely hopes the Biden Administration will lift restrictions on the use of U.S.-provided weapons, allowing Ukrainian forces to target deeper within Russia, extending their operational range.”
On Monday, Russia unleashed a barrage of 100 missiles and 100 drones in response to Ukraine’s ongoing advance into the Kursk region. This marked Russia’s first land invasion since World War II and dealt a significant blow to Russian President Vladimir Putin since his forces invaded Ukraine. The attacks disrupted vital energy infrastructure in 15 regions, resulting in five fatalities and numerous injuries, according to French news outlet Le Monde.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy criticized Western allies on his Telegram channel, alleging that restrictions on weapon use have limited Ukraine’s effectiveness. He argued, “We could do much more to protect lives if European air forces collaborated with our F-16 fighters and anti-aircraft systems.”
Russia intensified its assault with a second wave overnight Monday, targeting the Zaporizhzhia region in the southeast. This new attack, which involved missiles and drones, resulted in at least two deaths, as reported by the BBC. Ukrainian forces, utilizing recently deployed F-16s, managed to intercept five missiles and 60 drones, reducing the second strike’s impact to a few dozen projectiles.
President Biden condemned the “outrageous” Russian attacks and vowed to bolster Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. Meanwhile, British Foreign Secretary David Lammy denounced Russia’s “cowardly” strikes on civilian infrastructure.
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Ukraine is now preparing a list of long-range targets, contingent on whether Western allies will agree to President Zelenskyy’s request to ease restrictions on defensive strike capabilities. The ongoing invasion of Kursk, which continues to catch Moscow off guard, was intended to shift focus from other strategic areas, notably the Pokrovsk and Kurakhove sectors, Reuters reports.
In televised remarks, Ukrainian General Oleksandr Syrskyi stated that Russia had attempted to disrupt Ukraine’s supply lines in these regions. However, the Kursk invasion forced Moscow to redeploy approximately 30,000 troops to the Kursk front, a number that continues to rise. Syrskyi also revealed that Ukraine had taken 594 Russian soldiers captive during the Kursk operation and had secured control over 100 settlements. He asserted that Ukrainian forces had successfully repelled Russian attempts to counter their advance.
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Koffler cautioned that while Ukraine’s current efforts have been notable, they carry the risk of backfiring in the long run. Russia appears to be adjusting its attacks to remain “below the threshold of U.S./NATO intervention.”
“Kyiv’s strategy to stretch Russian forces has also stretched its own resources,” Koffler noted. “The manpower disparity heavily favors Russia, especially in a war of attrition.”
She added that Putin aims to dissuade Ukraine from further assaults on Russia and to pressure the West to halt its support for Kyiv. “Putin’s goal isn’t a clear-cut military victory but rather the weakening of Ukraine’s defensive and industrial capabilities to make them ineffective for NATO and the West.”
“Putin would prefer to end the war sooner rather than later, but only under his conditions,” Koffler said. “The crucial question now is whether the Biden-Harris Administration will adjust its policy to allow Ukraine to be more proactive in challenging Russia’s limits.”
While peace remains elusive, various world leaders are attempting to mediate between Russia and Ukraine to end the conflict. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, in his initial week as the rotating chair of the European Union, visited both Zelenskyy and Putin to explore peace options.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi also made efforts toward a peace deal, meeting with Zelenskyy over the weekend before discussions with President Biden on Monday and Putin on Tuesday. Modi, who traveled to Kyiv from Poland, emphasized to Zelenskyy that “both sides need to come together to find a way out of this crisis,” as reported by the BBC. Zelenskyy had previously voiced dissatisfaction when Modi was seen embracing Putin during a meeting.
Modi followed up with Putin after his talks with Ukraine and the U.S., engaging in a phone call with the Russian leader on Tuesday. Details of their conversation have not been disclosed.
