Russia’s military had anticipated a possible Ukrainian incursion into the southwestern Kursk region for months, according to documents seen by The Guardian. Ukrainian troops crossed into the Kursk region on Aug.

According to the cache of documents that the Ukrainian army said it had seized from abandoned positions in the region, the Russian troops were preparing to prevent the attack for months

After weeks of deliberation, Russia started a counteroffensive in Kursk. The Ukrainian incursion into that oblast, brilliant in its design and execution, threatens to turn into a “winning a battle and losing the war” classic.