Ukrainian Forces Launch Historic Offensive into Russia

Desolation at the Russian Border Post

All that remained of a once-bustling Russian border post was a striking tableau of destruction: sheet metal flapped aimlessly in the wind, customs declarations danced through the air, and stray dogs meandered beneath a road-spanning sign that ominously proclaimed, “Russia.” Kicking up clouds of dust, Ukrainian armored vehicles rumbled past, unimpeded, as the relentless flow of men and weaponry continued in what marked the most significant foreign incursion into Russia since World War II. This offensive is now nearing the end of its first week since the breach at the border in Sudzha and several other strategic locations.

At the crossing point, a Ukrainian soldier, stationed by the roadside, waved enthusiastically at the forces passing by, only days after Russia’s chief of the general staff had declared that the attack had been effectively repelled. However, at the border, the remnants of a losing battle lay scattered about—evidence of soldiers caught off guard. The ground was littered with bullet cartridges that tinkled underfoot, while discarded body armor lay abandoned on the asphalt, a stark reminder of the chaos that had unfolded.

Taking the fight directly onto Russian soil represents a monumental moment for Ukraine in its ongoing war with Russia. This bold maneuver comes two and a half years after Russia launched a full-scale invasion and a decade after it first intervened militarily to seize territory and support separatist client states in eastern Ukraine. Within the first month of the conflict, Ukraine retaliated with a cross-border helicopter assault and has since regularly targeted Russian oil refineries and airfields with a fleet of improvised drones.

While two smaller, earlier incursions into Russia by Russian exile groups, with backing from the Ukrainian Army, ended in quick retreats, this recent offensive has showcased a new level of resolve and capability from Ukrainian forces.