Battle of Kursk II: The Autumn of Our Discontent

 

Today marks a month since Ukrainian troops have set foot on Russian soil. If this was part of Putin's grand design, then congratulations are in order – it has succeeded brilliantly.

But in truth, Putin is doing everything in his power to downplay the Ukrainian incursion. In contrast, he flaunts Russian successes in the Donbas, framing it as the primary front of Russian military focus. Yet this narrative doesn't sit well with the residents and elites of Russia's Kursk region. Why, they ask, has their "liberation" been indefinitely postponed?

Frustration is growing not only because of the stalled advance but also because the timeline of the war's end, once optimistically pinned to this autumn, has now stretched into the uncertain future. Some analysts had even speculated on a decisive Ukrainian victory by fall. Instead, the reality on the ground looks different. The carefully measured support from the US allows the war to simmer — slowly, steadily — consuming Ukrainian lives, both soldier and civilian. But this slow burn has yet to incinerate the Russian forces entrenched in Ukraine.

Meanwhile, Putin’s desperate pleas for peace talks reek of a reluctant admission of Russia's faltering military strength. His arms-for-favors barter with regimes like Iran and North Korea is now infamous, offering these pariahs substantial rewards for their weapons. Israel, no doubt, watches with growing unease as Russian fighter jets potentially make their way to Iran in exchange for missiles to strike Ukrainian cities.

Putin's proposed "peace" agreement with Ukraine, likely modeled on the so-called Istanbul relations, demonstrates just how detached he is from the pulse of Ukrainian society. Ukrainians live by a new credo: Ukraine or death. For perhaps the first time in centuries, the people, the government, the military, and the Ukrainian church are united against an external enemy. This alliance makes Ukraine more formidable than Putin can comprehend.

The flame of defiance burns brightly in Ukraine. And as the autumn stretches into winter, the end of this war is no longer tied to seasons but to the will and unity of the Ukrainian people. They are no longer just fighting for territory but for their very existence.

Glory to Ukraine!