Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday confirmed for the first time that Ukrainian military forces are actively operating within Russia's Kursk region.
This announcement was made in a post on Telegram, where Zelenskyy highlighted and praised the efforts of the Ukrainian soldiers and commanders. He reportedly was impressed by their "steadfastness and decisive actions.”
He did not elaborate further on the military incursion.
He mentioned that Ukraine plans to provide humanitarian aid to the region, adding that government officials have been told to create a plan for delivering this aid.
What Did Russia Say?
Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier on Monday spoke about the Ukrainian army's move into the Kursk region, which he claimed has forced over 100,000 civilians to leave. He also alleged that it made the Kremlin look bad and is meant to interrupt Moscow's attacks in eastern Ukraine’s Donbas region further stating that it was done to gain an advantage in any future peace talks.
Russian forces are still trying to respond to the unexpected Ukrainian attack after nearly a week of intense fighting. Despite this, Putin said he is confident that Moscow's army will succeed.
Putin said the attack that began on Aug 6 appeared to reflect Kyiv's attempt to gain a better negotiating position in possible future talks to end the war.
Putin also mentioned that Ukraine might have hoped the attack would stir up public unrest in Russia. However, he said that hasn’t happened and claimed that the number of people volunteering to join the Russian military has actually gone up because of the attack.
He added that Russian forces will carry on with their offensive in eastern Ukraine regardless.
The governor of the Belgorod region adjacent to Kursk also announced the evacuation of people from a district near the Ukrainian border.
According to an Associated Press report, the Ukrainian forces swiftly rolled into the town of Sudzha about 10 kilometers (6 miles) over the border after launching the attack. They reportedly still hold the western part of the town, which is the site of an important natural gas station.
The Ukrainian operation is under tight secrecy, and its goals remain unclear, especially whether Kyiv's forces aim to hold territory or to stage hit-and-run raids.
The stunning maneuver that caught the Kremlin's forces off guard counters Russia's unrelenting effort in recent months to punch through Ukrainian defenses at selected points along the front line in eastern Ukraine, reported AP.
(With AP inputs)
