How Ukraine surprised Russia in Kursk – and why it should worry Putin | Defence in Depth

If there was a prize for bravest Russian of the week, surely Kursk Oblast Acting Governor Alexei Smirnov would be in the running.

In a very tense National Security Council meeting a few days ago, Mr Smirnov did what very few others have ever done: tell Vladimir Putin the truth. This didn’t go down well. 

Mr Smirnov wasn’t expected to actually say about how much land Ukraine had gained in its cross-border incursion, so when he did, Putin, who really doesn’t like surprises, abruptly cut him off.

But if Ukraine’s operation has shown anything, it’s that surprise in war is very definitely back on the menu. Better stay away from those windows, Alexei.

In this episode of Defence in Depth, Dominic Nicholls, The Telegraph’s associate editor, examines the Ukrainian tactics behind this ambitious mission and what Kyiv is ultimately trying to achieve.

#ukraine #russia #war

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23 comments

  5. this russian governor is not afraid to tell a dictator the truth, unlike the american republicans who kiss up to Trump and tremble in front of him..

  11. Where are all those "Russia has [a] right to defend itself!" comments that showed up on literally every pro-Ukraine video back when Russia was making advances several months ago? Did the bots stop getting paid?

  13. Putin through his arrogance and greed has brought war home to his people and country. Let him come out of his hiding hole and fight with his own hands.

  17. 1000 sq km is about 400 sq miles or …….about 2/3 the size of London.. So the impact is completely overblown.
    Just shows the propaganda goes in two directions.

  20. Sooner Russia understands that the leadership is selling them into oblivion the better ,while hiding behind a stockpile of WMD ,the west has allowed this atrocity to continue ,playing patsy with some politicians like U.S representatives doing exactly what appeasers of Hitler did. Same as Stalin in their approach of inhumanity inflicted upon people who are forced by systems that replace one section of misusing elites with another extreme of misuse. Currently the extreme Capitalists are the abusers in Western society ,the Nationalists ,Communists and Anarchists all agitating to replace them , using their own brand of politics to depose Plutocracy , while replacing it with another abusive system. That is the dilemma of societies granted individual liberties at the expense of social ones. Divide and conquer , financial capitalism sits at its apex, with its champion the U.S.A ruling the roost. Yet by its own system, incapable of setting tolerance limits, by self evident rights written two and a half centuries ago ,and ignored in the rush for self greed. Economic problems caused by economic systems like the banking and stock markets have been beaten by people setting up false systems, like housing markets and needs facilities that don't deliver anything other than money for nothing wealth . The apt Ponzy system still in place and feeding bias. fear mongering, could news channels to keep the status quo , for the Plutocrats . Moderate socialism is an athame to those seeking personal wealth, as it imposes restrictions , this is why slavery was overturned , but financial slavery is practiced so eagerly in its place.

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