Ukraine’s cross-border assault into the Kursk region of Russia on August 6 took the world by surprise. The unexpected attack by a small state against a nuclear power has turned Russian President Vladimir Putin’s narrative of greatness and invincibility into dust and ash. While Western analysts have largely fixated on the tactical advances made by Ukrainian forces into Russian territory, this attack has also exposed a strategic weakness in Russia as an alleged great power.
Russia finds itself isolated in its conflict in Ukraine, with its allies, both within and outside the Collective…
