ReutersWhile the “Z” may be a symbol of Russian invasion, the triangle represents Ukraine’s boldest attempt to repel that invasion.
They were pasted or painted on the sides of every supply truck, tank or troop transport heading towards the Russian border in the Sumy region.
It was an offensive that captured hundreds of square kilometers of Russian territory and clearly restored momentum and morale to the Ukrainian war effort.
The Russian official in charge of the Kursk border region spoke of 28 settlements under Ukrainian control and nearly 200,000 Russians who had been forced to leave their homes.
Tomash has just returned from a mission across the Ukrainian border with his comrade “Accord”, who casually says that it was “great”.
Their drone unit spent two days clearing the way for the cross-border attack.
“We got orders to come here, but we didn’t know what that meant,” Tomash admitted as he stopped for coffee at a gas station.
“We destroyed the enemy’s communications and surveillance means in advance to clear the way.”
It is not yet known exactly how much Russian territory has been captured, although there is skepticism about Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrksyi’s claim that 1,000 square kilometers under Ukrainian control.
Russia’s defense ministry insisted on Tuesday that Ukraine’s attempts to advance further had been thwarted but they have been proven wrong before.
Whatever the reality, it seems that Kyiv is still taking this military gamble.
ReutersThe level of activity in the neighboring Sumy region is something I have not seen since the liberation of 2022, when the Ukrainian people felt the wind in their sails.
This is certainly a welcome start after a protracted 18-month battle, but it is too early to call it a success or failure.
The target of the attack remains unclear, although President Volodymyr Zelensky has spoken of targeting locations from which Russia could strike into Ukraine and bring “just peace” closer.
But it is clear that Kyiv is deploying some of its best military forces.
The soldiers, looking healthy, gathered around the vehicles, which were muscular to match their size. Most politely declined to speak. Some looked exhausted.
On the messaging app Telegram, a soldier still in Russia told us that they had spent months planning to force Moscow to move troops away from other areas on the front line in Ukraine.
“The element of surprise worked,” he said. “We easily advanced without much resistance. On August 6, the first groups crossed the river at night from several directions.”
“Almost immediately, they reached the western outskirts of the city of Sudzha,” he added.
With operations like these, secrecy suits the soldiers who carry them out. The same cannot be said for civilians.
On both sides of the border, tens of thousands of people are being evacuated after airstrikes and fighting increased.
“The Russian civilians we encountered did not resist,” the soldier explained. “We did not touch them, but they either treated us harshly, negatively, or not at all.”
“They also lied to us about the location of Russian troops,” he added.
ReutersThe soldiers we spoke to confirmed that Russian forces were indeed redeployed from the eastern front, including the directions of Kharkiv, Pokrovsk and Toretsk.
But there are no reports that Russia’s progress is slowing.
Vladimir Putin has promised a “decent response” to Russia’s first seizure of territory since World War II.
But the fear he sought to sow did not extend to the dusty frontier settlements regularly bombed by his forces.
Misha and his friend Valera passed us in their orange Lada in the village of Stetskivka.
“I want them to take it. [Kursk region] “And do this!” Misha said, making a wriggling motion with his hands.
“They should take everything, including Moscow!”
It is anger stemming from having to endure a relentless, full-scale Russian invasion that began in February 2022.
“Russia attacked first, not us,” Valera said, the window down. “Now our people have responded and shown what we are capable of. We would have taken it sooner if we had been allowed to.”
It looks like Ukraine has finally gotten the green light from the West it wanted to attack across the border.
The risks remain great, illustrated by new defense lines being built on the outskirts of the city of Sumy.
Until last week, the region was worried about a Russian offensive in northern Ukraine. If the Ukrainian offensive fails, those worries could quickly become a reality.
Ukrainian forces were and are still outnumbered by Russian invaders.
“To hold Russian territory, we need two things,” our Ukrainian soldier wrote on enemy land.
“Many towns like Sudzha are under our control and have conservation zones as well,” he said.
“Our front lines are overwhelmed, and it’s unclear where we’re going to send them.”
For Kyiv, the logic or hope is that Russia will be forced to shift its focus from the war on Ukrainian soil to its own country.
Some in Ukraine believe the counteroffensive could even boost the country’s position in any future peace talks.
It could also push negotiations further.
Additional reporting by Hanna Chornous, Sophie Williams and Anastasiia Levchenko.
