Zelenskyy: Kursk operation has fulfilled its task
- Darina Melnychuk
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20:08, 14 March, 2025
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Photo: Office of the President of UkrainePresident Volodymyr Zelenskyy believes that he has fulfilled his task of pulling back Russian troops from the Pokrovske, Kharkiv and Sumy directions.
He said this at a meeting with journalists, reports «Suspilne».
«The situation is very difficult now. I can only thank our soldiers for this operation. It has fulfilled its task. The pressure on the Kharkiv direction was the first to subside, then they started to withdraw their troops from the Eastern direction. I think that the situation in the Pokrovske sector is now stable, and it will be very difficult for them to find an opportunity to occupy Pokrovske again», Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
Earlier, US President Donald Trump said that according to the Russian president, thousands of Ukrainian soldiers are now completely surrounded by the Russian army in the Kursk direction and «in a very bad and vulnerable situation».
However, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine denied the information about the alleged encirclement of Ukrainian units in the Kursk region by the Russian army and noted that this was created by the Russians for «political purposes and to put pressure on Ukraine and its partners».
The operation in Kursk region
The Russian side claims that on 6 August, Ukrainian troops attempted to break through the border and gain a foothold in the Sudzha and Korenivka districts of Kursk region.
On 12 August, the governor of the region, Oleksii Smirnov, reported to Russian President Vladimir Putin that 28 settlements in the Kursk region «were under enemy control».
On the evening of 12 August, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed the operation in Kursk region. According to him, it was necessary to ensure the security of the border areas from the Russian military.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi said that Ukraine was not interested in taking back the territories of Russia's Kursk region. Ukraine is currently defending its citizens who are being shelled by the Russian military from the region.
Later, on 14 August, special forces of the Security Service of Ukraine captured 102 soldiers of the 488th Guards Motorised Rifle Regiment of the Russian Armed Forces and the special unit «Akhmat». It is noted that this is the most massive capture of the enemy that has been carried out at one time.
Also, according to local media reports, six Russian soldiers were captured by the Ukrainian Armed Forces, and the Russian telegram channel «VCHK-OGPU» claims that the Chechen special forces «Akhmat», which was deployed on the border, abandoned its positions and 15 soldiers were wounded.
Ukrainian Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said that as of 14 August, the Ukrainian Defence Forces had destroyed the enemy in the town of Sudzha, Kursk region of the Russian Federation. More than 100 Russian soldiers were taken prisoner, and the defensive operation continues.
On 15 August, representatives of Ukraine and Russia begin negotiations on the exchange of prisoners of war in the Kursk region.
The Command of the Airborne Assault Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine shows footage of the first hours of the Ukrainian military' s offensive in the Kursk region on 6 August 2024.