Is an end to the long, costly war in Ukraine in sight?

We have heard with the certainty of 'settled science' that Ukraine couldn't possibly beat Russia just based on the size differential.

But this looks like bad news for Russia.

The Ukrainians seem to have devised a strategy of taking the Russian border city of Kursk, and apparently Belgorod, too, bringing the war much closer to home than just the occasional drone attack and refinery fire we have thus far seen. They are now taking whole cities.

This BBC video report is very good:

Russia sends reinforcements to Kursk region, but yet to restore control as Ukrainian offensive continues. Our report from Moscow for @BBCNews Producer @BenTavener Camera @AntonChicherov pic.twitter.com/1Cihgp58zR

— Steve Rosenberg (@BBCSteveR) August 9, 2024

That's triggered this response from Russia:

“Russia transfers the operational reserve from Ukraine’s Kherson, Zaporizhzhya, Kupyan, Kharkiv, Belgorod, Pokrovsky & Luhansk directions to the Kursk region.”

👉 I bet this is about to work out very badly for Russia. pic.twitter.com/0vNc9Z6LK7

— Jason Jay Smart (@officejjsmart) August 10, 2024

That means Ukraine is forcing Russia to choose between its own cities and its Ukrainian holdings, which Ukraine could knock from Russia as their troops deplete and regain its territory in the east.

It could also lead to this:

🔖If Ukraine demonstrates ability to dig in & hold on to Russian territory in Kursk region, there will be risk of Russian military rebellion 2.0 against the Kremlin, originating from the southern front, essentially following the same path through Rostov and Voronezh. https://t.co/0BU07oN6bw pic.twitter.com/8NaD0XpwhO

— Igor Sushko (@igorsushko) August 10, 2024

Which might explain why Gen. David Petraeus said this:

🇺🇲🇺🇦 General David Petraeus: The US Needs to Learn Great Deal From What Ukraine Has Done - Kiev Post pic.twitter.com/ZXQmmwCmmu

— Glory to Ukraine (@Rusofob_Moldova) August 9, 2024

If all this pans out, Joe Biden, who's desperate for some kind of legacy as he sits stewing in bitterness, will try to claim credit.

But if anything, the U.S. aid constrained them, forcing them to change tactics:

Ukraine entered the Russian region of Kursk because they had no choice. The US won’t let them fire long-range weapons at supply lines/bases, so they had to make it short-range. Russia is embarrassed, so what do they do?

Drop bombs on another supermarket full of civilians. Evil. pic.twitter.com/2cVRGBrJRY

— Nate Mook (@natemook) August 9, 2024

This commentator notes an intriguing irony -- 'Kursk' is the name of a Russian submarine whose disastrous sinking 24 years ago, almost to the date, cost 118 Russian sailors their lives. It was on Putin's watch:

This is probably the weakest Putin has been since the Kursk (oh the irony) submarine disaster of 2000.

I would be surprised if there weren't any plans inside the Kremlin to end his reign. pic.twitter.com/8gCruRei3G

— Pekka Kallioniemi (@P_Kallioniemi) August 10, 2024

If so, a victory for Ukraine would be a great thing, in that it may lead to the Russian strongman's ouster and the mischief he has been engaged in in Cuba and Venezuela, as well as his bankrollings of green and anti-fracking groups seeking to keep the West weak.

It also could signal the end of swamp profiteering on the war, which is why they continuously seek to extend it.

There may even be NATO involvement to push the war to its end.

I have no idea if this is true but the source is frequently right:

🚨BREAKING: NATO has reportedly launched a massive ballistic missile strike on a Russian airbase pic.twitter.com/y0cLYzSBjA

— George Papadopoulos (@GeorgePapa19) August 10, 2024

One watches and waits, hoping at long last that this nightmare will be over and Ukraine (and Russia) can return to normality.

Image: Screen shot from BBC video posted on Twitter