Ukraine’s surprise incursion in Kursk, which marked the first time since the Second World War that Russia’s borders had been breached, has opened wide the playing field between Moscow, Kyiv and the West, with one of Kyiv’s key allies, the US, heading for a decisive election.Experts say Ukraine’s counteroffensive threatens to change the tide of the war with the high number of Russian casualties limiting President Vladimir Putin’s ability to mobilize more troops as Russians grow seemingly concerned over the high human cost of the war, a conflict which may tip the scales in the looming US elections.For the latest updates on the Russia-Ukraine war, visit our dedicated page.“The Russians have barricade forces behind their young troops, so if their troops turn around to run away, they get shot by their own people. And so, the loss of life is huge, but it is grinding away, slow progress,” Sean Bell, a military analyst told Al Arabiya English’s Riz Khan in an interview.According to Bell, Putin