Putin and the consequences of the surprise Ukrainian offensive

2024-08-28 22:22:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Ukraine's surprise offensive in Russia's Kursk region has shocked the Kremlin. However, according to top US intelligence officials, it is not yet known what the impact of this military offensive, full of risks, will be.

CIA Deputy Director David Cohen said Wednesday, during a security conference held near Washington, that Kiev's offensive inside Russian territory shows no signs of abating. This offensive, according to Mr. Cohen, is forcing Russian President Vladimir Putin to face domestic consequences.

"They're still inside Russia, they're building up their defenses," Mr. Cohen said of Ukrainian forces in Kursk.

"They seem to have the intention of keeping a part of that territory under control."

"Putin will be forced to face not only the fact that there is now a battlefield within Russian territory, but he must also face the echo it has caused in Russian society," said Mr. Cohen.

"The incursion has the power to change the dynamics even a little in the future".

Ukrainian forces pushed into Russian territory on August 6, carrying out what is believed to be the largest attack on Russia since World War II.

About 130 thousand Russian residents have been forced to leave the fighting in Kursk, waiting for Russian reinforcements.

Ukraine's army chief said on Tuesday that Kiev forces have captured almost 600 Russian soldiers and taken control of a territory of about 1,300 kilometers. The deputy head of the CIA, Mr. Cohen, said on Wednesday that the United States estimates that Ukraine controls 770 square kilometers of territory in Kursk.

"We are sure that Putin will launch a counter-offensive to try to recover the lost territory. But it has not started yet", he said. "When the counter-offensive starts, we expect the Russian forces to face a tough fight."

Currently, Russian forces appear to be focused on capturing Pokrovsky, an important supply center for Ukrainian forces in eastern Ukraine.

"The Russians are advancing there," Mr. Cohen said, pointing out that this advance of Russian forces is turning into a huge cost.

But even if Russian forces succeed in capturing Pokrovsky, Mr. Cohen said that victory would bring little benefit to Moscow.

"Strategically, the impact will not be radical," he said.

Ukrainian attacks on Russia

Meanwhile, Ukraine has continued its efforts to force Russia to defend itself.

Ukrainian forces attacked areas in southwestern Russia with drones on Wednesday, causing a massive fire at a fuel depot in Rostov.

Vasily Golubev, Rostov's governor, wrote on the messaging app Telegram that firefighters were working to put out the fire and that there were no casualties.

Russia's Defense Ministry said it had shot down four Ukrainian drones over the Rostov region and eight others in the Voronezh region.

Officials in Voronezh did not report any deaths or injuries.

In the Belgorod region on the border with Ukraine, Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said the Ukrainian drone strike damaged three houses, but there were no injuries.

Russian air defenses also shot down a Ukrainian drone over the Kursk region.

Russian attacks in Ukraine

In Ukraine, Dnipropetrovsk Governor Serhiy Lysak said a Russian attack killed at least three people and damaged infrastructure in the city of Kryvyi Rih.

Mr Lysak said the attack came while the city was still in mourning after a bloody rocket attack on a hotel on Tuesday.

The governor of Kharkiv, Oleh Syniehubov, said that a Russian rocket had damaged several houses and injured 12 people./ Voa