How will Ukraine’s foray into Russia’s border region affect course of war?

People gather at an apartment building damaged after Ukrainian shelling in Kursk, Russia (AP)

A swift Ukrainian incursion into Russia’s Kursk region is the largest such cross-border raid by Kyiv’s forces in the nearly two-and-a-half year war, exposing Russia’s vulnerabilities and dealing a painful blow to the Kremlin.

The surprise foray has prompted tens of thousands of civilians to flee the region as the Russian military struggles to repel the attack.