In a change of pace, the Ukrainian military this week struck inside Russia in a cross-border raid. 

On Tuesday, Ukrainian forces ventured into Kursk Oblast, wreaking havoc on any Russian unit they encountered. 

Cross Border Raid by Ukraine into Russia 

Starting in the morning, Ukrainian forces entered Russia from Kharkiv Oblast and moved toward  Russian positions near Sumy. The Ukrainians used a battalion-sized mechanized unit with main battle tanks, armored personnel carriers, and infantry fighting vehicles. 

In a short while, the Ukrainian forces advanced several miles into Russian territory. They also shot down a Russian Ka-52 Alligator attack helicopter, destroyed several main battle tanks, armored vehicles, and trucks, and took dozens of Russian prisoners. 

The raid was most likely an attempt to distract the Russian military leadership and force it to relocate forces from the contact line back to Russia to address the threat and prevent further incursions. 

However, with defenses in the Donbas under heavy strain, the Ukrainian military took a serious gamble when it diverted significant forces to a cross-border raid without any strategic significance. 

Russian President Vladimir Putin bases much of his domestic credibility on the fact that he ensures peace and security within Russia. Ukraine’s cross-border raid directly challenges that assumption. 

For most of the war, Kyiv has been generally careful not to escalate the conflict. That means no action within Russia. But continuous Russian attacks against civilian targets have pushed the Ukrainians to be more aggressive. Slowly but surely, the Ukrainians have been targeting and attacking high-value targets such as air bases, military production facilities, and fuel depots inside Russia.

“The Russian MoD claimed that Russian reserve forces also responded to the supposed Ukrainian raids, and a Russian insider source claimed that elements of the Chechen ‘Akhmat’ Spetsnaz also responded to the raids, but ISW cannot verify these claims,” the Institute for the Study of War assessed in its latest operational estimate of the conflict. 

The Russian military claimed to have destroyed dozens of Ukrainian armored vehicles, but that claim also cannot be verified. Indeed, anything official that comes out of Russia is often intentionally false or misrepresented.

Russian Casualties: 700,000 Dead or Wounded by End of Year

Meanwhile, the Russian military and pro-Russian separatist forces continue to take heavy casualties on the ground. According to the latest data released by the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense, over the past 24 hours, the Russian forces reportedly lost approximately 1,230 men killed, wounded, or captured. They also lost a reported 78 tactical vehicles and fuel trucks; 67 artillery pieces and multiple launch rocket systems; 54 unmanned aerial systems; 29 armored personnel carriers and infantry fighting vehicles; 21 pieces of special equipment; 8 main battle tanks; 1 helicopter; and 1 cruise missile. 

The Russian military continues to absorb these heavy losses and maintain an offensive posture. But soon, this heavy attrition, estimated to reach 700,000 personnel losses by the end of this year, might become too heavy a burden to carry. 

About the Author 

Stavros Atlamazoglou is a seasoned defense journalist specializing in special operations and a Hellenic Army veteran (national service with the 575th Marine Battalion and Army HQ). He holds a BA from the Johns Hopkins University and an MA from the Johns Hopkins’ School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). His work has been featured in Business Insider, Sandboxx, and SOFREP.

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