Ukraine’s top military commander has announced that his forces have gained control of 1,000 square kilometers (386 square miles) of Russia’s neighboring Kursk region. This marks the first public acknowledgment by a Ukrainian official of the swift incursion that has humiliated the Kremlin.
General Oleksandr Syrskyi made this statement in a video posted on Monday to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s Telegram channel.
In the video, he provided the president with an update on the front-line situation.
“The troops are fulfilling their tasks. Fighting continues, actually, along the entire front line. The situation is under our control,” Gen Syrskyi said.
Russian forces are still struggling to respond effectively to a surprise Ukrainian attack after nearly a week of intense combat.
Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that the Ukrainian army’s incursion into the Kursk region, which has forced over 100,000 civilians to flee, is an effort by Kyiv to disrupt Moscow’s offensive in eastern Ukraine’s Donbas region and to gain leverage in potential future peace negotiations.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed for the first time that Ukrainian military forces are indeed operating inside the Kursk region.
He commended the bravery and decisive actions of Ukrainian soldiers and commanders on Telegram, though he offered few details. Zelensky also hinted that Ukraine might provide humanitarian assistance in the region.
During a meeting with top security and defense officials, Putin remarked that the attack, which began on August 6, seems intended to strengthen Kyiv’s negotiating position in potential peace talks.
He suggested that Ukraine aimed to incite public unrest in Russia, a goal he claims has not been achieved.
Instead, Putin asserted that the assault has led to an increase in volunteer enlistments in the Russian military, and emphasized that Russia’s eastern Ukraine offensive continues unabated.
READ ALSO: Zelensky’s Aide Criticizes Putin for Attempting to Blame Ukraine for Concert Hall Attack
“It’s clear that the enemy will persist in trying to destabilize the situation in the border zone to undermine our country’s internal political stability,” Putin said.
Acting Kursk governor Alexei Smirnov reported to Putin that Ukrainian forces had advanced 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) into the Kursk region along a 40-kilometer (25-mile) front, now controlling 28 Russian settlements. Smirnov added that 12 civilians have been killed and 121 others, including 10 children, injured during the operation.
Smirnov also noted that about 121,000 people have either been evacuated or fled the affected areas on their own. He highlighted the difficulty of tracking down all Ukrainian diversionary units in the region, as some are reportedly using fake Russian IDs.
Source: Breakingnews.ie
Follow the Parallel Facts channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaCQSAoHgZWiDjR3Kn2E
