Putin says Russia’s main goal is to capture Ukraine’s Donbas, also pushing back Kyiv from Kursk

President Vladimir Putin said Thursday Moscow’s main Ukraine aim was to capture the Donbas region and that Russia’s army was “gradually” pushing back Kyiv’s forces from the Kursk region after their surprise incursion.

Russia has throughout 30 months of fighting adapted its aims in Ukraine after failing to take Kyiv in 2022 and Putin’s comments come as Moscow’s forces advance fast westwards in the Donbas this summer.

Putin said Kyiv’s Kursk offensive had failed to stop Moscow in eastern Ukraine.

“The aim of the enemy (in Kursk) was to force us to worry, hustle, divert troops and to stop our offensive in key areas, especially in the Donbas, the liberation of which is our main primary objective,” Putin said at a forum in Vladivostok.

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Russia claimed to have annexed the eastern Donetsk region, as well as three other Ukrainian regions, in September 2022.

Putin said Ukraine going into Kursk made Moscow’s advance in east Ukraine quicker: “The enemy weakened itself on key areas, our army has accelerated its offensive operations.”

Putin, who appeared rattled when Ukraine launched its surprise move into Kursk in early August, said Moscow was beginning to push back Ukrainian forces from the border region, where they have held on to some towns and villages.

“Our armed forces have stabilised the situation and started gradually squeezing (the enemy) out from our territory,” he said.

“It is the holy duty of the Russian army to do everything to throw out the enemy from tis territory and to protect our citizens,” he added.

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Putin has recently hardened his rhetoric on Kursk, vowing earlier this week to “deal with” the Ukrainian “bandits” in the region.