Ukraine's armed forces have achieved their aims in Kursk, argues military expert

"We would have liked to see a [nice] surprise," Stupak said.

"Everything looks like the Russians will keep going, they'll be trapped and then, like they did to our soldiers during their time in Ilovaisk – and then we'll eliminate them in an encirclement. If we have a plan like that, then honor and glory, that's super, it would just be immense."

However, Stupak notes that it has been three weeks since the start of the Kursk operation, and it's now time to think about what will come next:

"For me, my perspective is that the Kursk operation has already run its course," he explained.

"Going forward we'll just be throwing money, investing resources, people, materiel, ammunition, and shells there without receiving any sort of result.

One of his arguments for this view is that the Russians have not lessened the intensity of their assaults on Ukraine's border territories, in particular in the Pokrovsk direction, which is why action needs to be taken now.

"Of course, if everything goes well, if we can take those prisoners, as we've noted, the three thousand Russian Federation troops in Glushkovsky District, if we can take trophy materiel, ammunition, shells," he elaborated.

"Then we can raise our heads with honor and lower the Ukrainian flag from [the Russian town of] Sudzha. We can leave with the theme of 'We came alone, no one threw us out, we came out undefeated.' And we can say that we will return if needed. And this would absolutely work for us."