Read previewFor months, Ukraine had been on the back foot in its war against Russia, with the Kremlin's forces slowly winning control of new territory.
But last week, Ukraine turned the dynamic of the war on its head, launching an audacious incursion into Russia's Kursk province.
However, the training provided by Ukraine's Western allies gave Ukraine the capacity to surprise and outmaneuver Russia.
It's unclear exactly how Ukraine managed to take Russia by surprise with its Kursk attack.
Military experts said that Ukraine had also exploited the sluggishness and rigidity of Russian military commanders, who scrambled to devise an effective response to the attack.
Persons:
—, Vladimir Putin, It's, Russia's, Jacob Parakilas, they've, it's
Organizations:
Service, Russia, Kremlin, Business, Black, Rand Corp, Soviet, Economist, Forbes, New York Times, Military
Locations:
Ukraine, Russia's Kursk, Russia, Russian, Ukrainian, Soviet, Donbas, Crimea, Kyiv, Kursk