Honestly as second fronts go… if the opportunity presented, the clear plan would be to take the rail hub at Kursk and block in the city while rolling SE. It would create a long logistics problem for the invasion, and cause invasion troops to need to reroute NW or face attack on an open flank.
They could also destroy as much oil & rail infrastructure as they can while they’re there. Plus, this might divert Russian attention in the South like in 2022. In that case, Ukraine could do another push for Zaporizhia or Mariupol and cut off Russian supplies to Crimea and Kherson
There’s no way they actually occupy it long-term. They only deployed a couple battalions worth of troops. But it does send a strong message.
Honestly as second fronts go… if the opportunity presented, the clear plan would be to take the rail hub at Kursk and block in the city while rolling SE. It would create a long logistics problem for the invasion, and cause invasion troops to need to reroute NW or face attack on an open flank.
They could also destroy as much oil & rail infrastructure as they can while they’re there. Plus, this might divert Russian attention in the South like in 2022. In that case, Ukraine could do another push for Zaporizhia or Mariupol and cut off Russian supplies to Crimea and Kherson
And serves as plausible reason that it gets “accidentally” destroyed in a retreat.
They would definitely have good reasons to hide endless mines that could destroy it from a distance
Makes Russia defend their whole border instead of just inside Ukraine.