MOSCOW, August 25. /TASS/. Kiev’s attack on Russia’s borderline Kursk Region makes it clear that Russia’s special military operation has turned into NATO’s large-scale war against Moscow, former Russian Prime Minister Sergey Stepashin said in an interview with TASS.

"When the [Russian] Security Council made a decision to launch the special military operation, no one expected that we would fight against all of NATO," he stressed.

According to him, military operations on the frontline have gone beyond the idea of "a special military operation," particularly after what happened in the Kursk Region.

"The Kursk situation has highlighted the importance of the military component. I do hope that our military has got some ideas because the nature of the war has changed completely. It’s no longer a special military operation. We have realized that we are fighting against NATO to the fullest extent," Stepashin said.

"Military operations continue to escalate, but our military potential and the capacity of our defense industry are clear," he concluded.