 "A crossing point on the border with Russia is seen, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, near the Russian border in Sumy region, Ukraine, August 11, 2024. File Image/Reuters")
Ukraine’s top military commander, General Oleksandr Syrskyi, has revealed a significant territorial gain in Russia’s Kursk. According to him, Ukrainian forces now control 1,000 square kilometers of the neighbouring region. A video of General Syrskyi’s statement was shared on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s Telegram channel.
This is the first public acknowledgment by Kyiv of the operation’s scope.
Russia has seen previous incursions into its territory during the war, now in its third year. However, Ukrainian forces’ foray into the Kursk region marked the largest attack on Russian soil since World War II.
This development is a severe embarrassment for Moscow’s military leadership, which has faced growing internal criticism for its handling of the war.
Putin’s response
In response to the incursion, Acting Kursk Governor Alexei Smirnov reported to President Vladimir Putin that Ukrainian forces have penetrated 12 kilometers into the region across a 40-kilometer front. Kyiv’s forces have seized control of 28 Russian settlements. Smirnov said that 12 civilians have been killed, 121 wounded—10 of whom are children—and about 121,000 people have fled the affected areas.
Russian forces, still grappling with the surprise Ukrainian attack, have yet to mount an effective counteroffensive after nearly a week of intense fighting.
Putin says Ukraine wants leverage
President Putin, in his most detailed remarks on the incursion to date, suggested that Ukraine’s objective was to strengthen its negotiating position in anticipation of possible peace talks.
He accused Kyiv of acting “with the help of its Western masters” to gain leverage over Russia, while also attempting to slow the progress of Russian forces in other areas. Russian officials have speculated that Ukraine’s incursion is intended to demonstrate to its Western allies that it can still conduct large-scale military operations, even as international pressure builds on both sides to consider negotiations.
Impact Shorts
More Shorts“The enemy will certainly receive a worthy response,” Putin declared.
He also warned of further Ukrainian attempts to destabilise Russia’s western border.
The operation, shrouded in secrecy, leaves many questions about Ukraine’s long-term goals and the broader implications for the conflict.
With inputs from agencies