- Ukraine knows how to exploit Russian President Vladimir Putin’s weak spots.
- Its invasion of Kursk undermined Putin’s image as a strongman protector of Russian security.
- The attacks have the potential to erode Russians’ support for Putin, an expert said.
OK, but saying just “the war” would be pretty confusing since it’s missing the specific intended context for the thing/events being discussed.
From a Ukrainian perspective, it is totally and completely a war.
I don’t think anyone here is disputing that it’s a war. They just want an acceptable, concise way to say “the part of the war where Ukraine brought the fighting into Russia.”