Can someone explain the end game thought process for this incursion into Russia. It's and embarrassment for Russia, and morale booster for Ukraine, which is all great but I am not sure what will happen in the months to come.

Does Ukraine plan to hold the territory? Are they hoping troops will be forced to move to counter the Ukrainian offensive which could provide an opening in Ukraine? Is this just to weaken Russia, destroy assets, but ultimately will result with a retreat?

Nobody knows, Ukraine didn't even tell America, Lol.

Short term - Major embarrassment to Russia, a lot of valuable equipment captured, a shit ton of soldiers captured (in the hundreds) and these soldiers have a lot of fresh young conscripts in them making them more valuable for future prisoner swaps, these are soldiers that Russia promised wouldn't enter the war and now they're all prisoners of war, a huge morale boost for Ukrainian soldiers, finally achieving a major win.

Long term - If they plan on holding the territory it puts Ukraine in a stronger negotiating position if anyone (like America aka Trump) tries to force them into negotiations because Ukraine can then say they'll give up Kursk in exchange for their land or they'll keep Kursk if Russia keeps Donbas. Hoping that Russia will rotate troops away from Donbas to Kursk to relieve pressure there, a lot easier for Ukraine to take Russian territory it seems than charge headfirst into artillery and minefields.

Even if Ukraine eventually leaves, as long as they do an orderly retreat I would say it was a success, the only way I can see this turning bad for Ukraine is if they somehow get caught in a trap by Russia and can't do an orderly retreat back across the border, I.E. If Ukraine gets somehow encircled...But Ukraine is blowing bridges and doing the encircling right now.

? - Another benefit is that it has shown how utterly pathetic and non-existence Russia's redlines are, at least to anyone with a brain, seemingly hasn't got through to America yet, this only turns into a benefit if the West realises this and lifts the restrictions...Right now it's a ? because while it has proven to us Russia is all talk, it's only useful if there's actual action that can be performed from it, such as the lifting of long-range weapon restrictions.

https://armyrecognition.com/news/navy-news/2024/breaking-news-ukraine-unveils-new-long-range-neptune-missile-variant

Ukraine is developing a new long range variant of its homegrown Neptune missle, which I able to travel 400km 🇺🇦

A highly placed Zelensky admin source to me: “Keeping the Americans in the dark was also key to keeping the Russian intelligence services and army from being able to prepare. “We have learned some very hard lessons from the events of the previous counteroffensive,” a highly placed member of Zelenskyy’s team informed Tablet.

“Last summer we told everyone what we were going to do and we all know how that turned out. Everyone knew what we were going to do and in which location we intended to strike. There is definitely something to be learned from the Israeli example of acting first and only later explaining what you are doing.”

"The United States government currently has no strategy for Ukraine. Zero. None at all," a former high-ranking Ukrainian intelligence and national security official told Tablet. "That fact is apparent to the current Ukrainian government. The political decision and the timing chosen to go into Kursk were made at the political level by the Zelenskyy administration at the request of the army command. Which wanted to take the initiative." The former intelligence official added, "This is war, and I cannot recall an example, any time in history, of a war being won while commanders were unable to make their own decisions and to take on their own responsibilities."

A senior member of the British government who is involved at the highest levels of shaping British policy toward Kyiv has informed Tablet that he was pleased with the start of the operation, since the more careful American approach had not been working for Kyiv.

Ukraine Defies the U.S. to Launch a Showy Offensive Into Russia - Tablet Magazine

The USA's credibility is being utterly wrecked and for good reason.

Got the Brits anonymously talking shit about their strategy now, got Ukraine doing operations without informing them because they don't trust them anymore, the "escalation management" has been an utter failure of policy and Ukrainian officials straight up calling out how Israel does whatever the fuck it wants without telling America is what we've all been saying too and the sheer hypocrisy of America telling another country what it can and can't do while they would never follow such rules themselves.

All I can say is GOOD.

Now lob a Storm Shadow at Russia and tell America to suck it up, what are they going to do? Stop all Ukraine aid and become hated by all their allies?

Straight up calling the West out now.

Ukraine needs to be more blunt really, take more risks, stop being a perfect pupil for the West cause realistically what will the West do? They aren't going to withhold aid and let Russia win, not at this stage, it'd be a total fucking embarrassment for NATO which would wreck their credibility on the world stage and cause fractures amongst the group from those who despise Russia such as the Baltics/Poland/Czech Republic/Nordics to the Escalation Managers in Western Europe/America. No way they withhold at this stage even if Ukraine upsets them.

If Ukraine used a UK Storm Shadow missiles to hit Russia without America's approval I would as a Brit say GOOD. Does America really think it'll be a good look if they say "We're withholding aid to Ukraine and letting them die now after spending 2+ years helping them fight off Russia and sending them billions worth of equipment because Ukraine used a British Storm Shadow missile on Russian territory in a defensive move on military objects and we don't like that despite the UK wanting to give Ukraine their approval" C'mon man, Lol.