Ukraine's Kursk gambit upends some old assumptions about Russia and the war

The Russian military's plodding reaction to Ukraine's surprise attack — and Ukraine's plan to create a buffer zone in the Kursk region — should compel Western political and military leaders to question many of the assumptions they're been making about this long-running war.

Ukraine's Kursk gambit upends some old assumptions about Russia and the war
A destroyed Russian tank lies on a roadside near Sudzha, Kursk region, Russia, on Friday, Aug. 16, 2024. This image was approved by the Ukrainian Defense Ministry before publication.

The Russian military's plodding reaction to Ukraine's surprise attack — and Ukraine's plan to create a buffer zone in the Kursk region — should compel Western political and military leaders to question many of the assumptions they're been making about this long-running war.