[Itse]

Tl,dw: Kharkiv attack is starting to look like a counter-productive move.
- It might have done more to stretch Russian resources than Ukrainian ones, as the latter were already guarding that part of the border. The attack has also already basically stopped moving.
- It basically forced the West to lift limitations in how UA can use western weapons, meaning airfields and logistical centers on the Russian side of the border are now threatened by western weapons. This removes an advantage Russia used to enjoy.
- Since Putin has declared that the land taken there is "a buffer zone to protect Russia", it puts significant political pressure on the military to hold on to that land, even if it otherwise wouldn't necessarily be much of a priority. But at the same time, setting up that buffer zone is causing more missile strikes on the Russian side, which isn't likely to make anyone think that it's working as intended.