Nuclear Weapons Failed to Deter Ukrainian Invasion of Russia.

Ukraine’s invasion of Kursk is not just an aggressive attempt to disrupt Russia’s invasion, but also the first instance of a declared nuclear power being invaded and occupied by another country. For decades, it has been assumed in nuclear escalation theory that countries possessing atomic weapons were largely immune from attack, as aggressors risked triggering a catastrophic event. Countries such as Israel, Iran, North Korea, and Libya have pursued nuclear arms in part to deter attacks from larger, better-armed adversaries.

While there have been minor conflicts between nuclear powers, such as India’s border skirmishes with China and Pakistan, and a storming by Palestinian Hamas militants into Israel, which is widely believed to possess nuclear weapons, the threat of annihilation has generally protected nuclear-armed countries from large-scale attacks and maintained peace between them.

Despite not being a nuclear power and being overpowered by Russia, Kyiv has managed to control territory totaling almost 500 square miles for more than three weeks. This development is quite surprising, as strategists have often envisioned NATO countries seizing Russian territory in a conflict, not a beleaguered underdog achieving it.

Now, Western leaders, military strategists, and nuclear theorists are pondering over the implications of these events for the potential escalation by Russia and future war simulations. Theoretical risks are now being put to the test in the real world, prompting a reassessment of the role of nuclear weapons.s can play in deterrence.