They do not want to fight us
In the second week of a bold cross-border incursion launched on August 6th, Ukraine has struck a second bridge in Russia's Kursk region, methodically severing the supply lines that sustain Moscow's war machine. President Zelenskiy has now named the deeper purpose aloud: not merely to shield Ukrainian border communities from shelling, but to carry the cost of war onto Russian soil itself, establishing a buffer zone and eroding the enemy's will and capacity to fight. The operation has unfolded with unexpected speed across some 800 square kilometers, revealing both the fragility of Russia's border defenses and the widening human toll of a conflict that continues to consume its youngest participants.
- Ukraine's air force has now destroyed two bridges in Kursk in rapid succession, deliberately strangling the Russian military's ability to move supplies and reinforcements to the front.
- Zelenskiy has broken from ambiguity, publicly declaring that the Kursk incursion is an offensive strategy — not just a shield — designed to degrade Russian war capacity and plant a buffer zone on Russian territory.
- Ukrainian forces have swept through roughly 800 square kilometers in six days, exploiting Russian positions that were caught unprepared and undermanned when the incursion began.
- Hundreds of Russian prisoners — many of them young conscripts who reportedly have no desire to fight — are being captured daily, raising questions about the depth of Russian morale along the border.
- The operation has cast a shadow over diplomacy: a reported Qatari-mediated negotiation over energy infrastructure strikes appears to have collapsed in the wake of Ukraine's decision to strike Russian sovereign territory.
Ukraine's air force released footage on Monday showing the destruction of a second bridge in Russia's Kursk region, near the town of Zvannoye — a strike that followed Friday's demolition of a crossing near Glushkovo. Together, the attacks form a deliberate campaign to sever Russian logistics as Kyiv's incursion into Russian territory, launched on August 6th, continues to expand.
For the first time, President Zelenskiy gave the operation its full public framing. In his nightly address, he described the Kursk incursion not simply as a shield for Ukraine's Sumy region, but as an offensive instrument — a means of degrading Russian military capacity and establishing a buffer zone on Russian soil. "It is now our primary task to destroy as much Russian war potential as possible," he said.
The advance has been swift. According to the Institute for the Study of War, Ukrainian forces have moved through approximately 800 square kilometers in six days, encountering Russian positions that were largely unprepared and understaffed. Even after Moscow dispatched reinforcements, Ukrainian gains have continued.
The human dimension has been striking as well. Officials in Sumy reported capturing between 100 and 150 Russian prisoners on some days — many of them young conscripts who, according to Ukrainian administrators, show little will to fight. The observation points to a morale problem among Russian border troops that may partly explain the speed of Ukraine's advance.
The incursion has also complicated diplomacy. Reports emerged that a Qatari-mediated negotiation over halting strikes on energy infrastructure — a potential partial ceasefire — was derailed by Ukraine's decision to cross into Russian territory. Moscow denied the talks ever existed, leaving the diplomatic fallout murky.
Meanwhile, Russian forces continued their slow, costly push in eastern Ukraine, claiming a village in Donetsk. The contrast between that grinding advance and Ukraine's rapid gains in Kursk has shifted the war's momentum in ways that neither side has fully reckoned with publicly.
Ukraine's air force released footage on Monday showing the destruction of a second critical bridge in Russia's Kursk region, marking another blow to Moscow's ability to move supplies and reinforcements across the border. The bridge near the town of Zvannoye was struck with precision, according to air force commander Mykola Oleshchuk, who posted the video of the blast on Telegram. This followed Friday's destruction of a separate crossing near Glushkovo. The strikes represent a deliberate campaign to cripple Russian logistics as Kyiv's incursion into Russian territory—launched just over a week earlier on August 6—continues to expand and consolidate.
For the first time, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy publicly articulated the full strategic purpose of the operation. In his nightly address, he framed the Kursk incursion not merely as a defensive measure to protect Ukraine's bordering Sumy region from constant shelling, but as part of a broader offensive strategy aimed at degrading Russian military capacity and establishing a buffer zone on Russian soil itself. "It is now our primary task in defensive operations overall to destroy as much Russian war potential as possible and conduct maximum counteroffensive actions," Zelenskiy said, describing the buffer zone as integral to that mission.
The scale of Ukraine's advance has been striking. According to the Institute for the Study of War, Ukrainian forces have pushed through approximately 800 square kilometers in six days, moving rapidly through terrain that was initially lightly defended. The Russian positions they encountered were, by ISW's assessment, largely unprepared and understaffed—a vulnerability that suggests Moscow was caught off guard by the timing and scope of the incursion. Even after Russian reinforcements arrived in the area, Ukrainian forces have continued to make territorial gains.
The human dimension of the operation has been equally notable. Oleksii Drozdenko, head of the military administration in Sumy, reported that Ukraine has been capturing between 100 and 150 Russian prisoners of war on some days. Many of these captives are young conscripts, and according to Drozdenko, they show little appetite for combat. "They do not want to fight us," he observed, suggesting that morale among Russian border troops may be a factor in Ukraine's rapid advances.
The incursion has also disrupted diplomatic efforts. Russia denied reports that the cross-border attack had derailed indirect negotiations between Kyiv and Moscow over a potential agreement to halt strikes on energy infrastructure. The Washington Post had reported that Ukraine and Russia were preparing to send delegations to Qatar to negotiate what would have amounted to a partial ceasefire on energy targets—a landmark agreement that, according to the Post, was scuttled by Ukraine's decision to attack Russian sovereign territory. Moscow's denial of the talks' existence suggests the diplomatic fallout may be more complicated than either side is publicly acknowledging.
On the broader battlefield, Russian forces continued their grinding advance in eastern Ukraine, with state media reporting control of the village of Svyrydonivka in Donetsk, though independent verification remained unavailable. The contrast between the two theaters—Ukraine's rapid territorial gains in Kursk against initially weak defenses, and Russia's slow, costly progress in the east—underscores how the incursion has fundamentally altered the war's momentum and strategic calculus. As the operation enters its third week, the question is whether Ukraine can hold and consolidate its gains while continuing to degrade Russian logistics and morale.
Notable Quotes
It is now our primary task in defensive operations overall to destroy as much Russian war potential as possible and conduct maximum counteroffensive actions. This includes creating a buffer zone on the aggressor's territory.— President Volodymyr Zelenskiy
They do not want to fight us.— Oleksii Drozdenko, head of military administration in Sumy, on young Russian conscripts
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why destroy bridges specifically? Why not go after ammunition depots or command centers?
Bridges are the arteries. Cut them and you don't just slow the enemy—you force them to choose: spend time and resources rebuilding, or leave entire units isolated. It's about logistics as much as firepower.
Zelenskiy said this creates a buffer zone. What does that actually mean on the ground?
It means holding territory inside Russia itself, deep enough that Russian artillery can't easily reach Ukrainian cities across the border. It's defensive depth, but on their side of the line.
The prisoners—150 a day. That's a lot. What does that tell you?
It tells you the Russian positions weren't ready for this. Young conscripts, lightly armed, no real preparation. When you're not prepared and you're outnumbered, you surrender rather than die.
But Russia has reinforced since then. So Ukraine's advantage is temporary?
Probably. The initial shock is wearing off. What matters now is whether Ukraine can hold what it's taken and keep degrading Russian capability before Moscow brings overwhelming force to bear.
The energy talks falling apart—is that a big deal?
It would have been. A partial ceasefire on infrastructure would have given civilians breathing room. But Ukraine chose to attack Russian territory instead. That's a strategic choice, not an accident.
So Ukraine is betting everything on this incursion working?
Not everything. But they're betting that the momentum and the psychological impact of fighting on Russian soil is worth more right now than a negotiated pause on energy strikes.