It May Be a Novel Move in Russia-Ukraine War

Vladimir Putin is calling it a "major provocation." NBC News refers to it as an "unprecedented cross-border incursion." Russia on Tuesday said as many as 300 Ukrainian troops had attacked the Kursk region in southern Russia with support from tanks and armored vehicles. The details remain somewhat hazy, Ukraine's leaders have not confirmed the attack, and the AP reports open-source monitors have not yet verified the claims. The Guardian, however, reports it got confirmation from a junior official that an attack was underway. More:

• On the ground: Things are murky, with Russia's Defense Ministry originally stating the "Ukrainian sabotage group retreated to its territory," per the Guardian. But Russian military bloggers have suggested the Ukrainian troops were not pushed out but rather made it up to 9 miles deep into the territory, and the New York Times reports the Ministry confirmed fighting was continuing on Wednesday.

• What could make it 'unprecedented': The Times explains that Ukraine's previous cross-border assaults involved armed groups of Russian exiles that had military backing. This attack, however, appears to be the work of Ukrainian troops.
• Implications: If confirmed, NBC News reports it "would mark a dramatic shift in strategy" and raise "questions about why Ukraine might have launched an incursion into Russian territory with regular troops just as military observers say it's bleeding soldiers and weapons in the vulnerable east, particularly near the towns of Pokrovsk and Toretsk in the Donetsk Region."
• Analysts' take: Those NBC News spoke with suggested Ukraine could be trying to force Russia to shift troops to an area that hasn't seen much action since spring 2022, or it could be a "publicity stunt" designed to grab the world's notice.

(More Russia-Ukraine war stories.)