Reinforcements sent by Moscow failed to stop a Ukrainian surprise offensive in Russia’s Kursk region during its second week, creating a dilemma for the Kremlin – to further tap Russia’s invasion force in Ukraine by diverting more battalions to defend Russia, or to throw new conscripts into the war.
Moscow has so far kept regular recruits into the armed forces on rotation at home, sending only contract soldiers to the bloody battlefields of Ukraine. But the Kursk offensive has changed that delicate political balance.
By counter-attacking Russia on its home turf, Ukraine has put young Russian conscripts who did not sign up for active combat duty in the line of fire. Kyiv’s forces have reportedly captured hundreds of them as…
